Dr. Lan Ta Mahon

Dr. Lan Ta Mahon was born Lan Thuc Ta, in the spring of 1970 in Phuoc Tinh,Vietnam, to parents Chiem Cong Ta and Han Thi Nguyen. She passed away on October 25, 2019 at the age of 50, after complications from a sudden brain aneurysm which struck her in the midst of caring for one of her many patients.

She came from humble beginnings with her family immigrating to the United States in 1975. She was a young five year old child in an unknown world, not speaking or understanding a word of English. She and her family were placed at Ft. Indiantown Gap refugee camp in Pennsylvania awaiting their fate. After a few months, they were sponsored and relocated to Long Island, New York where she went to Saint Hugh's Catholic school and was placed in the 2nd grade based on her wrongly documented age of seven. She persevered for the next four years despite being thrust into a higher grade level than appropriate.

The family connected with relatives living in Long Beach, California and decided to move there, due to the warmer climate, and to be closer to family. There, she went to Saint Matthews for Middle School, and Woodrow Wilson High School. She did exceptionally well. With grit and tenacity, she graduated with honors.

The patriarch of the family decided it would be best to relocate once more to Florida, after Lan's brother purchased a new house. She went on to attend college at University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida graduating in just a few years. She had a passion for helping others so she attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University and graduated in 1994, as a doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.

She married Thomas McSwain Mahon Jr., the love of her life, and opened up her solo family medicine practice, Mahon Family Medicine in Snellville, Georgia, where she helped countless others doing what she loved.

She is survived by her devoted husband Tom and their one and only daughter Sophia Lan. She is lovingly remembered by her many brothers and sisters; Viet Quoc Ta, Binh Cong Ta, Jeannie Yen Tran, Vinh Quoc Ta, Linh Thi Thy Ta, Dzan Quoc Ta, Minh Cong Ta, and Trang Thuc Ta. She will be forever remembered fondly and missed by so many of her nieces and nephews, cousins, friends, and patients.

She was a model of influence and pillar of her community. She gave of herself even beyond work and family, volunteering as physician to those in need at Gwinnett Community Clinic, mentoring as a preceptor for Mercer medical students, and teaching ESL at the church.

For those who knew her she was a force to be reckoned with. She had a special gift and touched the lives of all who were fortunate enough to know her loving and happy spirit. She was a beacon of light and love, and the rock of our family.

From the moment she awoke,and even after closing her eyes to sleep, she was constantly thinking about what she could do for others. She truly had a Heart of Gold, unmatched by any other.

The family has requested in lieu of flowers for donations to be made in her honor to the following charities: Doctors Without Borders, Samaritan's Purse, or Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation.

We will be celebrating her extraordinary life on Thursday October 31st 2019 at Eternal Hills Funeral Home. We will pray together at Mass on Friday November 1st St John Neumann Catholic Church. She will be laid to rest at Eternal Hills Memory Gardens.