Content Warning: This obituary mentions domestic violence and suicide.
Angelina Lai Yen Boey, event coordinator in the Emory University Office of Admissions who was remembered by her colleagues for her adventurous spirit and radiant personality, died on Dec. 9 at 33 years old.
According to a preliminaryinvestigation by the DeKalb County police, Boey was shot and killed by her husband, Dung Phi Nguyen, 34, near Henderson Park in Tucker, Georgia before Nguyen fatally shot himself.
“The first thing I think of when I think of Angelina is her stunning smile,” said Claire Lennox, a communications specialist at the Candler School of Theology. “It’s cliché to say someone lit up a room when they walked in, but she most certainly did.”
A funeral and memorial service was held on Dec. 17 and was attended by family, friends and colleagues. Senior Events Manager at Candler Alice Tarkington, who attended the service, said Boey’s sisters reflected on the memories Boey made with friends and family and said she leaves “a legacy of warmth and everlasting love.”
“A common theme in comments was her zest for life and her genuine caring for people,” Tarkington said. “She was a beautiful soul taken too early.”
Born in Malaysia on Nov. 19, 1988, Boey is survived by her parents, Hor Chong Boey and Chai Sia Ko, her twin older sisters Angeline and Angela Boey and nephew James Boey. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2011 with a degree in psychology and public relations.
A GoFundMe page created by her sisters to help cover the costs of the funeral raised over $23,000.
Before assuming her most recent role in the Office of Admissions in 2017, Boey was a conference planning manager at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2013 to 2015 and worked as the events coordinator at the Candler School of Theology from 2015 to 2017.
Tarkington, who served as Boey’s manager at Candler, said that Boey “loved being in the events world” and that many regarded Boey as one of Candler’s most beloved colleagues.
“Angelina had the capacity of weighing all the pros and cons of a situation then making a decision that maximized results for our program areas,” Tarkington said. “She was smart, efficient, creative and proactive. She took her job seriously but made it fun. She was a connectional person — deeply caring and interested — a good friend.”
Lennox added that Boey was detail-oriented and that her dynamic personality contributed to staff gatherings.
Boey’s work life went beyond planning events for the University as she made concerted efforts to foster friendships with her colleagues. Using her event planning skills to coordinate a Galentine’s Day celebration with close friend Lisa Stone, senior manager of marketing at the School of Medicine, and their mutual friend Me’Ashia King, senior secretary for the office of the dean at Candler, Boey’s talents transcended the work space into community building.
“As our friendship grew, I learned that she shared that gift with friends and family, too,” Stone said. “At a belated Galentine’s Day get together with our mutual friend, Me’Ashia, she spent hours making us chocolate covered strawberries just to make us feel special.”
One of Boey’s most admirable attributes was her ability to make friends with colleagues, Tarkington said. Whether through sharing photographs from her travels around the world or spreading a blanket on the Quad for a picnic lunch with friends, Boey held a genuine value for friendship.
Before the pandemic, Boey, Stone and King had weekly lunches, either meeting up for ramen at Wagaya in Emory Village or picnicking on the Quad.
“We always stayed way longer than we intended, catching up on news, enjoying each other’s company and figuring out what we were doing for our next monthly outing,” Stone said.
Every month, they would plan an outing external to Emory, from exploring a new restaurant to going to a city festival. These outings highlighted Boey’s adventurous spirit and her affinity for trying new things.
“She was open-minded and could find joy in almost any situation,” Stone said. “For instance, we went to the Candler Park festival every year and even though jam bands weren’t her favorite genre of music, she was game for the experience and made the most of the time with friends.”
Lennox remembered Boey’s sincere interest in her colleagues' lives, recalling a memory of Boey was from summer 2021, when Emory staff began going into the office more often. On one of those days, Lennox and Boey ran into each other near Peavine Parking Deck, their first time seeing each other since before the pandemic.
“She immediately burst into that beautiful smile and exclaimed, ‘Congratulations!,’” Lennox said. “I could feel her enthusiasm but couldn’t think of anything that I needed to be congratulated on, so I cluelessly replied, ‘Thanks! For what?’ She responded immediately, still enthusiastically, ‘Your son.’”
Although Lennox’s son is now two years old, Boey had not seen Lennox since before he was born. In what she described as a “lovely moment,” Lennox said it meant a lot that Boey thought of her son when she first saw her.
“To me it is one small example of how she was tuned in to other people’s lives and what was important in them, even when she hadn’t seen me for so long,” Lennox said.
From emanating authentic care for her colleagues and friends to displaying commitment and expertise in event planning, Boey was able to transform the workplace into a spirited community.
“Angelina laughed easily, was unfailingly kind and thoughtful and had a zest for life,” Stone said. “The world is less vibrant, fun and loving with her passing.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence or are in need of mental health support, please reach out to the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-33-HAVEN or the Mental Health Crisis Line at 1-800-715-4225.
