Noel Ann Tardyof Dallaspassed away November 7, 2017.She is preceded in death by her parents, James Noel and BessieKopeckyTardy and her beloved dogs Princess,BamBamand Truffles. She is survived by her sister, Sharon McDade (Bill); her nieces, Tricia Pogue (Dean), Michelle Poole (Michael), Kristen McDade (GregWilson); and numerous great nieces and nephewsand cousins. She is also survived by her aunts, Lillian Curryof Houstonand Mary Steely (Jerry)of Corsicana, Texas.Noel was born in Dallas, Texas,on August 7, 1950 to James and Bess Tardy. They lived most of her childhood in a wonderful house on DeLoache and Inwood in Dallas. Jim and Bess hosted many parties and eventsfor people of all ages. Noel had horses on the property and close friends in the neighborhood, also of all ages.She cherished those friendships as well as her closeness to her local and Houstonfamily. EthelJameswas Noels dear nanny for most of her childhood.Noel attended Ursuline Academy andgraduated fromHillcrestHigh School.A lifelong music lover, she played and sang inpublic schoolbands, orchestrasand choruses beforeattending Texas Womans University as a music major and a member of the Aglaians Literary-Social Club. She was awarded a stage band music scholarship for her work with the TWU Serenaders playingguitar and bassand was a member ofThe Womens Chorus of Dallas andofthe mixed chorus, Resounding Harmony.She later attended the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.Noels careers and hobbies followed her passionsandher love for life.She pursued many diverse fields from massage therapy to accounting to information technology. She and hermotherbegan a catering business together many years ago that still exists in the form of TwoHotCzechs. No matter what she was doing, music andfood were always in her life.ThoughNoel studied classical guitar at Texas Womans University, once she picked up the ukulele her musicalfocusand her life bothchangedand expanded.SheestablishedUkelady Musicand had both a brick and mortar shop in White Rockand a thriving website.She not only sold ukuleles butgave advice on the bestone for each student/customer.She taught classes for young children, including a time teaching kids with illnesses at a local hospital.She founded the Lone Star Ukulele Fest and the nonprofit Ukulele in the Classroom program to teach music literacy to children.After discovering she had cancerand followingher difficult treatments Noelco-created Spirit Runnersin 2012as a way toshare healing music with anyone going through hardship.She and her production partnerproduced a CD and performed many concerts.Noelwas the first ukulele player to performas part of the Brookhaven Guitar Ensemble. She appeared on stagesinSpain andTheCzech Republicas part ofher music travels.Sheperformed tirelessly at all kinds ofvenues in Dallasfrom Roys restaurant tothe Bath House at White Rock Lake and theManskeLibrary in Farmers Branch. Mostrecently,this past Octobershewon a cherished competition at theGuitar Foundation of AmericaFestival at Collin College.Noel was a writer as well.She wrote a childrens book and various articles, and was the 2017 Words of Women recipient for an essay about her grandmother. The award-winning essay describes a fork her MaMa was given to be used for their entire voyage while immigrating on board a ship from Czechoslovakia to America around 1912. This fork became one of her most treasured possessions.Noel was an active member of the Dallas LGBTQ community and an activist for women, fighting for improved healthcare, equal wages and equal rights. She enjoyed her friendships with the pastors and the parishioners in the different centers of faith she attended, remaining close to them during her life journey. In recent years she was very active on Facebook where she championed her political and social views.And, as so many will recall, Noelloved her dogs Princess, BamBam and Truffles. They were her children. When Princess was so sick the last couple of years, Noel cared for herfaithfully.Noel celebrated life and pursued her dreams until they came true. She was passionate about her music and her culinary accomplishments and shared this love with everyone. Her family and her Czech traditions were her mainstay, and her creativity was the driving energy in all she did. She touched more lives than we know. She will be remembered and she will be missed.A celebration of Noels life will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, December 3, at Brookhaven College in Farmers Branch, Building H.In lieu of flowers, Noels family suggests that donations be given to the Ukulele Kids Club (theukc.org). Noel loved teaching children and especially enjoyed her time teaching kids at a Dallas hospital. The Ukulele Kids Club mission is to harness the healing power of music by supporting music therapy programs and gifting ukuleles to hospital music therapy programs so that children in need can be sent home with the gift of music for life.Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.