1952 – 2012
Welcomed into this world on July 20th 1952, Hanh grew up in Da Lat, Viet Nam. During his late teens and early 20s, he set off to pursue his dreams of becoming a lawyer. In 1974 to 1975, the Vietnam War ended his dreams of continuing education. He and his brother went to join the war efforts. He went on to become a medivac pilot for the South Vietnamese Air Force and his brother Tanh was a parachutist. He came home without his brother when the war ended.
After the war, he, along with many of his comrades was sent off to “re-education camps” where he spent 7 years of his life suffering for his country. After he was released, he went on to marry the love of his life, Nguyen Dieu Huong and had 2 children, Tran Lap Dong and Tran Thao Nhi. His family immigrated to the United States in 1993 through the help of the Human Organization. In 1996, they bought their first home and had their 3rd child, Tran Thao Mi.
He was a lover of music, a self-taught classical guitarist who made his own guitar and learned how to play during the years spent in re-education camp. He shared his love for music by participating in numerous church choirs. He became a director, conductor, and arranged music for the Vietnamese church choir (Ca Doan Thanh Gia) for the past 4 years. He kept a collection of his own original works of composition in books, many of which were dedicated to his wife and children. He also incorporated his wife’s poetry and played for her as well as his oldest daughter to sing; they loved to do duets together. He also taught his children guitar, and encouraged his youngest daughter to play the piano. He was known in the community for his keen musical abilities and many looked up to him as a role model.
Hanh sacrificed the opportunity of pursuing a higher education in the United States in order to provide for his family and began working as a machine operator. He was laid off after many years of working there and decided to take classes to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). He worked as a CNA at James Square until he became ill. Throughout his time at the nursing home he took care of the elderly and treated them with immense kindness. He was loved by all of his patients and very much appreciated by his coworkers due to his hard work and dedication to patient care.
Like an ideal father, Hanh was always responsible and loved his family with everything he had. He made sacrifices and spent time with them as a whole and individually. He made each of them feel special and cared for in his own way without missing a beat. He kept the family close and indivisible; he was wise and served as a great role model for his children who always looked up to him and followed his values. He was a sweet and loving husband to his wife, who he kept by his side through every aspect of his life. Most would think that they were perfect for each other as they kept the flame going through all their years of marriage together and were inseparable. They shared a love most people would yearn for, a rare and absolute devotion.
He was a deep thinker, understood many aspects of life and wanted to pass them on to his family. He knew how to make everyone laugh and tell stories about his past. Hanh found happiness in any kind of sadness; he was like a ray of sunshine in the lives of all. He was a very sophisticated man, but he also had a comedic and charismatic side. There was always a time to crack a joke and he never failed to make others enjoy themselves. He also kept good company; nobody had a bad word to say about him. He had an open mind, was never judgmental, and gave everybody the benefit of the doubt.
Cooking was one of his best skills. He was an innovative chef; he always made something out of nothing. All of his mysterious recipes were tried, loved, and always remembered. He loved to swim and was very good at it; many would joke with him and tell him he had fins for feet. Dancing was something he enjoyed to do. He managed to dance with his wife despite the fact that she was usually off beat and he always seemed to make it work, from the tango to the cha-cha-cha. He liked to stay busy and often found handyman projects around the house to work on. One year, he fixed up the entire interior of his home meticulously within a short period of time and did so even with a full time job. He was full of energy whether he was tired or not. He would outplay his children and was like a best friend to each of them.
Despite living a life full of obstacles, complaining was never in his nature. He was graceful in overcoming those obstacles. He was disciplined and determined to get things done when he wanted them done. Although his life wasn’t ideal, he grew to be a great man and ensured the health and wellbeing of his family. They will always value the wonderful memories they shared with him and they realize that he lived a very fulfilling life. His everlasting faith in God will surely allow his acceptance into Heaven along with his loved ones. His family will be at peace knowing he is watching over them from now until the day they are together again.
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