Lean Tia

When she got married, she lived with her husband, Mr. Tio Siam Tia in Phnom Penh. The couple had three children, Tine, Elizabeth and John. Mrs. Tia was a loving mother, caring very well for the education, not only for her own children, but also for nieces and nephews. She was close to her husband, helping him in all public relation matters. Mr. Tia worked as Vice President of the French Bank BNP and as member and Vice President of the Cambodian Senate.

Mrs. Tia was a very active person, speaking several languages. Already as very young, she was skilled in the commerce field. First, she started a business selling silk fabrics. Then, she studied by herself gemology and began trading precious stones and jewelry for many years. Later, she began to cultivate orchids. In her greenhouse she had hundreds of plants. Besides, she was active in the real estate business.

Mrs. Lean Tia was very open for social affairs. During many years, she worked for the Cambodian Red Cross and was elected Vice President. An important event was the annual fund raising, when she approached the embassies and important business people in the capital. She helped orphans, young and elderly children after natural disasters.

In the year 1960 the family went to Europe for a large tour. Mrs. Tia assisted a mass celebrated by Pope John XXIII at the Vatican in Rome. She kept a nice memory of the papal benediction and afterwards stayed close to the Catholic Church.

A dramatic event in the life of Mrs. Tia was the flight with her husband out of Cambodia, caused by the takeover of the Red Khmers in the year 1975. The couple settled in Paris and got well integrated in the European style of life.

In 1983 the family immigrated to the United States and settled in Houston.

Mrs. Lean Tia will stay in a precious memory of all who knew her as a wonderful person with a fine character, kind and generous.