Adriana Breidenstein

There are only two lasting things that we can give our children: one is roots, and the other is wings. We are grateful that we, her daughters, Angela Breidenstein and Monique Hill, received both from our beloved mom, Adriana Breidenstein. While she is no longer with us, having taken her last breath on March 6, we will carry on her spirit of evolution and learning, independence coupled with caution, adventure born of curiosity and seeing beauty in the world and in others, a strong work ethic and high standards, and most importantly, her joie de vivre. She inspired her family, including her granddaughters, Gabriella and Mia, for whom she is "Omi," her son-in-law, Robert Hill (husband to Monique), Rob's stepmother, Jimmie Hill, her niece and nephew Linda and Remco Rijske (children of beloved sister Ria), and many friends and clients whose lives we know she touched. She lived every moment to its fullest, both the day-to-day and the unique, including many trips across the globe for work as a travel consultant and for pleasure, dance lessons and salsa congresses, champagne and paté for special occasions (or just because), margaritas and tacos (always), if not worldly travel then small trips to World Market and Target, sunrises and sunsets, conversations and cuddles, and so much more.
Born April 17, 1946, our mom's roots were in the coastal town of Vlissingen in the Netherlands, a place that gave her the love of water, the ocean, and toes in the sand. She loved learning languages and became fluent in Dutch, German, French and English. As a child she had a lengthy hospitalization for tuberculosis, which shaped her outlook on life and contributed to her desire to spread her wings. As she described it, at age 19 she left her home in Europe and the restrictions of her family to find freedom and independence. She arrived in New York on June 1, 1965, on her way to Philadelphia to work for a family as an au pair. From there she planted the first roots of her work in the travel industry with Avis and then Lufthansa in Detroit, where she met our dad Harald Breidenstein in 1967, along with lifelong friends, in the International Supper Club. After living in Detroit, where Angela was born, and Chicago where Monique was born, in 1973, Adriana and Harald moved our family to Houston, which became our mom's beloved hometown for 45 years.
In Houston, as we were growing up, she was a devoted and active mom, encouraging us to spread our wings in our chosen endeavors and also in areas she was passionate about, such as fine arts, health, and spirituality for holistic well-being. Along with countless hours in the car driving us to activities, like ice skating and tennis and making us healthy lunches to take to school each day, our mom made our home a place where family, friends, and our dad's and her clients felt not only welcomed, but an extended part of our family.
Our mom was a perpetual learner, earning her bachelor's degree in psychology, a real estate license, and certifications in neuro-linguistic psychology, yoga teaching, and travel advising. She co-founded The German School for Children to help kids explore and expand their roots through language and heritage development, she supported a meditation ashram and volunteered with the foundation's prison project, she enjoyed being a part of Houston's salsa and bachata dance communities, she volunteered in her neighborhood association, and she supported global non-profits promoting education, female empowerment and trauma recovery.
Mom's passion for travel led her back into the industry in the 1990s, working at British Airways and various travel agencies until starting her own successful company, Travel by Design, which she ran until its sale in 2020 with the challenges posed to the travel industry by COVID. She was hard-pressed to pick favorite destinations, but lit up when sharing stories of touring the island of Sicily, observing gorillas in Uganda, spotting a cheetah in Africa, riding a
camel in the Sahara Desert, admiring the Taj Mahal in India, and mingling among the wildlife in the Galapagos. Even a sunset in Vlissingen and a snowfall in Lantana were not lost on her.
Mom's last years were spent in Lantana, TX, close to her family, and a wonderful extended community who supported her independence in the evolving challenges of Lewy Body dementia (LBD). This included activities such as her weekly dance lessons (salsa, tango, and more), local dance socials, and outings with Mia and Gabriella. Even when LBD made aspects of life difficult, music and dance superseded the disease and allowed her to feel free and herself.
We're grateful to Dr. Chi-Ying (Roy) Lin, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Houston's Baylor College of Medicine, for his amazing guidance and for his respect and care for our mom from her diagnosis to her last days. Support for research at BCM can be made here (https://give.bcm.edu/) in our mom's name to help continue much needed research. We are thankful for nurses and CNAs at Teresa's House in Argyle, TX, and hospice nurses like Jody with Arcy who guided us and cared for us on mom's final journey to heaven.
For those who wish to honor Adriana's memory, in lieu of flowers/cards, she would want you to choose a cause close to your heart or one of special meaning to her. In addition to LBD research, our mom believed in the mission and work of Ranch Hands Rescue (https://ranchhandsrescue.org/), which provides trauma therapy and counseling for healing and transformative change and where, along with Monique, she gave of her time and resources. She also gave annually to Trinity University for student scholarships in appreciation of Angela's experience there as a student and dedication as a professor.
In her last days, our mom reminded us "I'm a strong woman" and we agree with all our hearts. She developed for herself strong roots and wings: brave, loving, sweet, vulnerable, resourceful, classy, candid, graceful, and grateful. We will carry on in her spirit, knowing that while her body is at rest and at peace, her spirit soars free.
Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.
Arrangements under the direction of:
Aria Cremation Service & Funeral Home
1820 N. Belt Line Road
Irving, Texas 75061