Muriel Hom
Muriel Lee Hom passed away peacefully at The Village at Rockville on July 22, 2025 at the grand age of 98.
Muriel, also known to many as Mimi, was born to George and Mildred Nahme in Washington DC on March 9, 1927. She, her older brother, Leonard, and younger sister, June, (along with their great-aunt Betty) were close in age and very young when they lost their parents. It is a testament to all that they rose above those misfortunes to lead very fulfilling lives.
Mimi married Ernest F. Hom, the Chief Administrative Law Judge at the Department of the Interior, and they shared a life together for 55 years in Bethesda, MD, raising three children, Linda L. Devine (Edward), Janet L. Biermann (John), and Steven R. Hom (Mary Beth). They helped to raise their seven grandchildren: Jon Christopher and Justin (Sadie Tsang) Biermann; Amanda (Jake Wexler), Tommy and Jeremy Devine; and Stephanie Reeder (Zach) and Andy (Toni Lynn) Hom. Mimi was overjoyed to welcome four great-grandchildren: Juliana and Alexandra Biermann, and Brooks and Lyla Reeder. She and Ernest were longtime members and had served the Chinese Community Church in many capacities.
Mimi’s life was devoted to music from her early recognition as a child prodigy on the piano. She earned a B.A. degree in music, taught countless piano students for 68 years, accompanied singers and instrumentalists, and served as Music Director and Pianist for the Hermon Presbyterian Church for decades.
Mimi performed with vocalists around the United States, at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and on PBS Television. Internationally, she performed in Germany, Austria, Mexico, Taiwan, and the People’s Republic of China.
After producing four successful concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, she founded Opera International (OI) in 1994. Based in the Washington Metropolitan area, OI produced and staged numerous operas and vocal galas critically acclaimed by The Washington Post and Opera magazine among others. OI also organized benefit concerts for worthy causes such as the Wounded Warrior Project, Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria Relief, and the Prevention of Blindness Society. Mimi also served as President of The D.C. Federation of Music Clubs, and Vice President for Programs of the Organization of Chinese American Women.
For her career-long service to music, she was honored in Taiwan for her dedication to sponsoring and developing singers; was presented with the Trailblazer Award for Extraordinary Vision and Achievements in the Arts by the OCA Greater Washington DC-Asian Pacific American Advocates; received an award from the Prevention of Blindness Society for her dedication to community service; and was recognized by The Arts Club of Washington for her lifelong accomplishments. She was the recipient in Maryland of the Montgomery County Executive’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities.
Hospitality was a hallmark of Mimi and Ernest’s lives. The comings and goings at their house were like Grand Central Station, and of course there was always food. Years later, people especially remembered Mimi’s Peking Duck and peach pies.
Though music defined her career, her role as loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and her kindness and generosity to relatives and multitudes of those who called her friend, may be her greatest accomplishments in life. Her vibrancy, energy and enthusiasm for life inspired all those who knew her and she will be sorely missed.
A celebration of life service will be held at The Village at Rockville Chapel, 9701 Veirs Dr, Rockville, MD on Sunday, September 28, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. A light reception will follow.
If you wish to honor Mimi’s memory, a donation to the arts or your favorite charity is appreciated.