Rio's Obituary in the Greensboro News and Record:

Rio Watson made her transition on Tuesday, February 26, at her home in Hendersonville, North Carolina. She passed peacefully supported in the loving and compassionate embrace of her beloved husband, Daniel Richard Watson, and a small group of family and dear friends. Born Ellen Sue Hoff in New York City, she was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina and attended Grimsley High School. At age 16, she started her own business, Psyche and Soma, a line of women's belts and fashion accessories.

After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1984, she ran her own very successful business for six years, Rio de USA, a nationally recognized small leather goods company, whose clients included all major department stores across the country, the New York fashion modeling agencies, including Eileen Ford, and the major motion picture and TV studios in Los Angeles, California.

In 1989 Rio relocated to Los Angeles, where she met her husband Dan and two years later began their spiritual partnership and business of teaching around the world. As co-director of the LaHo-Chi Institute with her husband, she became a pioneering energy healing teacher for spiritual awakening and personal transformation and devoted the rest of her life to the creative and healing arts. In her many roles as international healer, teacher, event organizer, and consultant, she served as an inspirational mentor, friend, and guide for communities worldwide. She leaves behind a legacy of extraordinary healing and compassionate spirit which has assisted thousands of people to come together in consciousness on behalf of healing the planet. It was her deepest desire to help create greater spiritual community worldwide in service to humanity.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Dan Watson, her parents George Hoff and Muriel Caroline Fischer Hoff, her sister Cynthia Fran Hoff, and her brothers David Michael Hoff and Steven Ronald Hoff. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, you may send donations in Rio's honor to the Scholarship Fund of the LaHo-Chi Institute (danandrio@mindspring.com); the Four Seasons Hospice of Flat Rock, North Carolina; or Heifer International. The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday February 28 at Beth David Synagogue, 804 Winview Terrace, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27410.



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