Van Hy Ly

Van Hy Ly was born on June 9, 1964 to Tony Lee and Ann Young in Cà Mau, Vietnam. As the fifth oldest of twelve children, Van immigrated to the U.S. as a refugee alongside her family when she was a teenager. With stops in Malaysia and Montana, she ultimately settled in Seattle in January of 1980.

Van attended Queen Anne High School where she met Y Truong, who would eventually become her husband when they married in 1986. She graduated from Cleveland High School, attained her Associate of Arts degree from North Seattle College, and began a career in healthcare.

Together, they had a daughter, Jennifer, and son, Steven. As a mother, Van served as a nurturing example of what it meant to be a compassionate, selfless, and generous person. She and Y provided a loving and supportive home. They enjoyed countless family dinners, and hosted many family members and friends, near and far. Her family will forever savor the delicious meals she so often made, especially her hum tsoi, bánh canh, and bún riêu. As part of a sports-loving family, Van could be heard yelling from the stands at her children’s basketball games, both when they were players and eventually when they each became coaches.

Van spent almost her entire career at Virginia Mason Medical Center, serving patients with her smile as a medical assistant for 31 years. There, she amassed numerous friendships and admirers. She could not make it a few steps before saying hello to someone she knew, even during her last two years when she spent time at Virginia Mason as a cancer patient.

Van passed away from metastatic gastric cancer on March 8, 2021 at the age of 56 and was surrounded by family at home. Van is survived by her husband (Y), children (Jennifer and Steven), mother, father, 5 brothers, 6 sisters, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members. She will always be remembered for her warm heart, lending ear, and giving spirit.

In lieu of flowers, contributions sent to Venmo @VanLy-Donations will be distributed to various charitable organizations selected by Van and her family, such as Virginia Mason Foundation, Thiền Quang Tự, Vietnamese Buddhist Association - Chua Vietnam, Evergreen Health Hospice Care, and others. You may also make your donations directly to these organizations in honor of Van Ly.