When I was about 12 or 13 years old, it had seemed that I wasn’t growing anymore. Since Bac Hang was the tallest female in the Phan family, I sought her advice and asked how she was so tall. She told me that when she was young, on her walk home from school, there was a beautiful tree in front of the house, and she would jump every day and try to reach for the tallest branch. 

I may have not grown physically after that, but her story and mentality inspired how I live my life: to always challenge myself, reach for the tallest branch, and to never stop growing as a person. Thank you, Bac Hang, for the unforgettable memories and invaluable life lessons that I will always hold close to my heart. 

At Co Hang’s house we often unearthed world-shaping discoveries. While many of our caring aunts and uncles would visit the make shift childhood that bonded all Phans together, Co Hang lived, screamed, laughed, teased, and chased after all of that joy with us. It took a village, and she was village leader. 

Co Hang changed shape to be whatever we needed; a spontaneous Peter Pan to a crowd of lost boys and girls, a guiding Mary Poppins to a wave of second generation millennials, a forgiving Master Splinter to a house full of teenage mutant ninja turtles. Co Hang was a living legend, and a world-shaping memory.

At The Ranch, we sifted leather couch cushions for loose quarters, and came up winners. She congratulated us and helped us decide how to split the treasure so that wealth wouldn’t get to our heads. We discovered generosity. 

We burned a tree in the backyard once, “for science”. Nothing was discovered, but Co Hang pushed us to pursue less flammable experiments despite the loss of confidence. We discovered persistence.

Co Hang herself was a treasure hunter, drawn to the shine of things that gave us perspective, experience, and ambition. She reminded the family to go camping as we all grew older and apart. She and Dung Trung were the first I recall to have cable modem - pioneers of the expanding digital universe. She never kept her opinions on silent, but instead pushed for debate. We discovered individualism.  

Co Hang always treated everybody as equals whether young or old. She dished her wit, and received our taunts. She always took chase, and all in good fun. I remember one of her comebacks to be a simple, confusing quip of “You will never…!” Never what? I’ll never know for sure, but somehow it makes sense in every way. We never felt alone as long as Co Hang was around the house. We never discovered anything by chance so long as she had something to with it. I’ll miss you, but you will never be forgotten. You will always, Co Hang. 

-Hien

When I was running a shipping business in Tustin, I brought my baby Chương to the store with me. And Ái Hằng stopped by the store every day after work to help me and to play with Chương. She loved Chương so much Chương thought that Ái Hằng was his second mother. So when I went back to work and had grandma babysat Chương in Irvine, he would wait for Ái Hằng to come home from work every day. The minute he heard the door open and Ái Hằng stepped in, he would run to her, extending his arms, and call her: “Dì Hằng ẵm Chương được hôn?” And Ái Hằng immediately dropped her purse to pick him up with a big smile.

Chị Hồng, anh Vinh, and Chương  with love,





As a small child I always slept on my side with one hand underneath the pillow. I started doing it because the underside of the pillow was always cooler. I still sleep this way sometimes. And sometimes, with my arm tucked away under my pillow, a memory of Co Hang bubbles up. 

During Summers when we would all be at Ong Ba Noi’s house, Co Hang was helping us go down for a nap. She saw how I was sleeping, trying to hide one hand away, and asked why I did that. This is my most distinct memory of her, because she is the only person ever to ask me why I hid my hand under my pillow. It’s something we had in common—hiding a hand—but for different reasons and different feelings and different reactions. Different, but similar, nonetheless, like family can be.

My dear sister.
Life was not kind to her from the beginning but you would not know it from the vibrant smile that is always on her face. A contagious smile that manifested in her enthusiasm for life. She had the courage to live life on her on terms and with conviction. I will miss my kind and loving sister.

With love,
Truc and family 


How do you fit a lifetime of memories on a page? How do you get pass the tears that keep blurring the words? I will miss you, my sweet, sweet sister.

[Amadeus 2 of 2]

I remember her playing games with us (her nieces and nephews), never too old to chase some elementary schoolers around the backyard in spirited games of tag.  She wasn't just humoring us, either-- she would full-on sprint after us.  And I certainly remember one camping trip where she Olympic-hurdle-style leaped over (and spectacularly cleared) a bush to give chase and make us think twice about underestimating her commitment to said games of tag.

And despite always engaging with us, she never talked down to us or reduced us to "just kids".  She treated us like small people becoming adults.  And unknowingly, we adored her for that type of attention.  Unknowingly, we aspired to be deserving of that respect and that friendship.  She  was always one of the fun adults, one of the cool ones.  

I'd see her reading a book, and I'd ask about it and want to read it too.  She watched a tv show, and I'd want to watch it with her.  

I close my eyes and I see her in that house in The Ranch during the 90s.  I remember her laughter, her positivity, her strength.  A spirit unbroken by those things that would have conquered the lesser among us.  She had it figured out a long time ago. 

I'm going to miss you.

- Amadeus


[Amadeus - 1 of 2]

There are so many little moments in my childhood that seemed so run-of-the-mill at the time, but that are so desperately important to me now.  They've become tiny treasures, effortlessly forged during the most mundane of interactions-- their subject matter belying their immeasurable value today.  Coffers filled with moments spent with Co Hang. 

I remember living in the same house with her in the 90s, a little kid a couple of rooms over, and moseying over to hang out and watch Quantum Leap with her.  I remember hearing her laugh whenever her tv star crush, Scott Bakula, would say, "Oh boy."  I'm a fan of his, too, now.  I'll get an autograph for you, I promise.

I remember helping her on a couple of graphic designs for the letter "P" so that she could submit it into a contest for a monogram logo at the company she worked for back then.

I remember her taking "the kids" for walks on warm summer evenings, sometimes to the park, or just simply around the neighborhood.  And during those strolls we'd sometimes come across fruit tree branches hanging over the wall of a random backyard and we'd jump up and down to try and pick some fruit that were within reach.

I remember when she moved to her house in The Colony neighborhood, and how she invited us over to use her pool.  I also remember her submitting something of mine (a picture? a poem? an essay? it hardly matters) into a neighborhood contest and winning a bag full of Pogs, which she gave to me.  We sat in the green Ford Explorer when she gave them to me.  It was an awesome day.  

She was fun to be around; she felt safe and welcoming in a world that felt intimidating.  

- Amadeus

(continued) 


My dearest memory was when you always walked with us to El Camino Real Elementary. Even though it seemed like a long distance, you made it feel shorter.

Thanks for providing your daughters and cousins with many memories.

-Ryan

My fondest memories of Di Hang are play-fighting with her over gramma’s crispy chicken skins on rice and jumping out of and startling her so she would chase the nephews and I. 

- Yanh 

OBITUARY

Hang Anh Phan

29 March, 1962 – 2 May, 2023

Peek Funeral Home

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