Tram Van Tran

Tram was born in Quang Tri, Vietnam. He is survived by his devoted wife of fifty-three years, Phi Phuong Thi Nguyen, their children Trac and his wife Lan, Tri and his wife Maria, and 3 grandchildren Nhat Yen, Tyler and Toby.

Tram lived his life with peace and harmony as the eldest of seven in the family. Tram always described himself as the absent-minded and carefree boy who often got into trouble with his teachers. Yet he became a well-respected and popular English Professor at the prestigious Saigon University of Technology (Dai Hoc Bach Khoa) in Vietnam.

After more than 30 years of teaching and thousands of students later, Tram wrapped up his career in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States in 2000 to be near his children and grandchildren. Although he came to the US in his late 50’s, he was able to adjust and acclimate to the American culture. He took great joy in driving his own car, loved eating buffet-style meals, and spending countless hours sitting on his front porch people watching. He also took tremendous pride in serving his beloved Vietnamese community as an assistant teacher and then as the sole English-Vietnamese translator and interpreter for the Oakland Unified School District for 18 years before his retirement in 2018.

Tram most enjoyed a great Vietnamese coffee and all the traditional dishes of the Central region in Vietnam. His ideal day would be spent watching his favorite classic cowboy movies and listening to smooth oldies from the 70’s and a few of his favorite Vietnamese musicians. Tram was fortunate to have visited many countries in five continents. Everywhere he went, Tram was frequently surrounded by his friends and former students who are now flourishing.

Join us in celebrating Tram’s incredible life. His memories and spirit will live on forever through his children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, and students all around the world.