Darlene Conceta (nee Dintino) Large

While she slept peacefully, Darlene Concetta (nee Dintino) Large of Lee’s Summit, MO, met her Savior Jesus Christ face-to-face on 16 February. For 60 years, she was the loving wife of Bruce Derr Large until his death in 2017. She was larger than life in many ways and yet a dedicated servant in many humble situations.

She was born in New Brunswick, NJ, to Albert William Dintino and Sophie (nee Terbovich) Dintino Terrill on March 31, 1935, Palm Sunday. As Sophie heard the church bells ringing that morning, she knew that her new daughter belonged to Jesus. Darlene went on to spend her childhood in Glassport, PA, with her sister, Dr. Letti Jo (nee Dintino) Obradovich (d.).

After graduating from Glassport High School, Darlene attended The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, where she received her B.S. in Art Education and met her husband Bruce. She also attended the Arts College of Caracas, Venezuela; Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL; and Millersville University, PA.

While teaching art was her vocation, making art and serving people were her callings—whether making pies for friends or an ice cream cassata to celebrate a birthday, or taking clay from the soil of the Navajo Nation to throw a communion plate and cup to give to a Christian mission there. Her homes were evidence of the three years she studied interior design while everything she touched—whether a plate of food or her beautiful photography showed her knowledge of color and form. She excelled at needlecrafts, winning a blue ribbon at the New York State Fair for her stitchery; and her baby quilts were works of art on their own. Her talent didn’t end at crafting as her ability in the fine arts has blessed her survivors with watercolor paintings, pottery, and India ink prints.

Her employment history includes teaching art in the Concordia Lutheran School in Caracas, during the Venezuelan revolution in the 1950s; elementary schools in Walton and N. Syracuse, NY, and Evanston, IL; substituting in Conestoga Valley and Manheim Township Districts, Lancaster, PA; and, finally, in the Ephrata School District, PA, teaching 900 students per week at three elementary schools.

Volunteering was always close to Darlene’s heart. Whether she was volunteering in U.S. hospitals; leading her son’s Boy Scout Troop; or working among Mexican tribal people, Navajos in AZ, or leprosy patients in India, she was in her element, serving and caring for those who needed a helping hand.

In 1969, suffering from the beginning stages of MS, she was advised to move to Lancaster County, PA, where she could get organic food and clean air. There she received the vision of a home for Indian children. At the time, she thought she would adopt 12 Native American children and live on a farm. Instead, the pinnacle of her career was the founding of HOINA (Homes of the Indian Nation) in April 1971, an international organization and 501(c)3. She felt that her ultimate creation was that of HOINA. This time, her art was for God.

For over 40 years, she served as president, traveling back and forth across the globe, transforming thousands of lives by rescuing abandoned, orphaned, and disabled children and feeding hungry widows. She ensured that HOINA’s children were permitted to further their educations in whatever path was best. When Darlene retired from her HOINA work, her son-in-law Todd Becker took over as President of the U.S. Board of Trustees. www.hoina.org

For her work with HOINA and the betterment of humanity, she was given The Pennsylvania State University’s highest award in 1982, The Distinguished Alumni Award as well as Penn State’s College of Education Award. Rotary International named her a Paul Harris Fellow while Soroptimist International chose her as one of their Women of Distinction and their Woman of the Year. Darlene was listed in World’s Who’s Who of Women 1987-1988. Heart and Hand for the Handicapped bestowed their Lifetime Achievement Award and their Silver Jubilee Award for her work with polio-handicapped children. For that reason, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Asia-Pacific Musculoskeletal Tumor Society; a Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Musculo-Tumor Society, and a Lifetime Achievement Award by Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai, India.

Darlene was a member of First Baptist Church of St. Charles (MO) and attended Connection Point Church (Raytown, MO) when she was able.

Her son, Dirk Large, awaits her in heaven. She is survived by two daughters, Letti Becker (Todd) and Rajakumari Daggumalli (Suvendra Dutta); and four grandchildren: Elsie Weinzierl (Jason) of Kansas City, MO; Dirk Becker, Great Bend, KS; and Arunendro and Rajendro Dutta, Lexington, MA; as well as her 2 nieces and 4 nephews and their spouses, children, and grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a closed casket visitation to be held at Baue Funeral Home, 3950 West Clay Street, Saint Charles, MO 63301-4419, on March 13, 2026, from 10 a.m. – Noon. Interment will be at Jefferson Barracks in a private family ceremony. A celebration of Darlene’s life will be held at Koinonia Bible Church, 7020 Richmond Ave, Kansas City, MO 64133, on June 6, 2026. To watch the livestream, click this link: https://www.youtube.com/live/Atlj9s27Et8 Time TBD. Please check back for updates.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Darlene’s name to:

HOINA, P.O. Box 7167, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064-7167 or www.hoina.org/donate

Or to the Salvation Army, P.O. Box 412577, Kansas City, MO 64141-2577

Donate online at: https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/mokan