Bao Ngoc Tran

“Anything is possible.” That is what Bao Ngoc Tran believed about life. He was a creative man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. Bao thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Bao was a person who believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do.

Bao was born on February 20, 1917 at home by a local traditional nurse in Tra Doai, Bui Chu, Vietnam. His parents were Tran Bang Phan and Do Thi Sen. Bao was raised in Vietnam and California. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, Bao could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived satisfaction from knowing he had that ability.

This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Bao's family relationships. Bao was raised with three siblings. He had three younger brothers, Hao, Thuy and Chau. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, Bao was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.

As a young boy, Bao could be found building and inventing new and different things. He was curious, resourceful and interested in anything original. Bao was a Catholic youth member, and in his spare time he liked landscaping and gardening. Bao's memorable achievements included learning how to sculpture which was passed down through five generations.

Bao was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around him. Always interested in his friends’ activities and interests, Bao was uncritical of his acquaintances. He was sought after by people who recognized that he was generous with his time and energy, and these same friends found Bao to be very stimulating company. Bao's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around him. Later in life, he became friends with Khan Nguyen and Xuyen Pham.

On July 5, 1937 Bao exchanged wedding vows with Tran Thi Vui at Bac Tinh Church in Bui Chu, Vietnam. Bao was adept at devising original and creative ways to enhance and improve the marriage partnership. Bao was seldom a critical person, but rather the one who was able to bring out the best in others. Bao was an entertaining conversationalist who was quick to respond to his spouse’s needs. He was a vibrant personality and he enjoyed verbally sparring with Vui. In fact, those who knew him often remarked that Bao loved to argue for argument’s sake. He was very perceptive in recognizing others’ feelings, especially regarding Vui's.

Bao's remarkable talent for being inventive influenced his relationship with his children. He would create original, clever and fun games for his kids and had a knack for finding ways to make everyday events, even chores, enjoyable to them. Bao had nine children: three sons, Peter, Jackie and Tony; and six daughters, Quynh, Judy, Huong, Cindy, Lori and Lieu. He was blessed with twenty-three grandchildren, Joseph, Diane, David, Nicholas, Cuong, Hung, Truc, Mai, Huyen, Quan, Son, Thu, Kevin, John, Richard, Jennifer, Steven, Henry, Helen, Christina, Christopher, Lucy and Charlie. Bao was also blessed with fourteen great-grandchildren, Harmony, Allison, Alaina, Khanh, Mi, Thanh, Phong, Vincent, Tina, John, Rachel, Tiner, Thina and Hailey. Someone who was quick to laugh, Bao found it easy to spend lots of time with his children, but he was never overbearing or guilty of pushing himself on them.

As a born inventor, Bao was definitely in his element in his work place. He could easily create new and innovative systems, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. Bao was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. He could assess all of the options before him and, using his analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. His personal initiative inspired those around him. Bao was always good at getting a project started and then, at the appropriate time, handing it on to a colleague. His primary occupation was as a sculptor. Bao was a fifth generation sculptor. These skills were passed to him through his family. He has been sculpting for more than 70 years.

Bao's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Bao was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew him, but most friends and family understood that Bao simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His favorite pursuits was to help the church as a Catholic community activist.

Bao was continually concerned with the status of local, national and even world affairs. His keen interest and strong values led him to become active in his community. Serving on committees for the St. Maria Goretti Church and St. Patrick's Church.

Faith and religion were important to Bao. He was a member of St. Maria Goretti Church and St. Patrick's Church for 31 years. During that time, he served as lay person and was the first elected President of the Senior Association, Hoi Truong Lao.

With all of his talents, his ingenuity, his solutions and inventiveness, it is no surprise that Bao received public recognition for his competence. With the drive and ability to meet any challenge, Bao accumulated a long list of achievements throughout his life. One of his most prestigious awards was the St. Maria Goretti Parishioner of the Year (1993).

Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Bao. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Bao to expand his ever-growing inventory of knowledge. One of his favorite vacations was a touching trip to Thailand to show his appreciation and to thank the Thai fisherman and his family for saving his life as well as his family's during their escape to freedom in 1979 after four years under the dictatorship of the Communist Party.

Even while in retirement, Bao never stopped exercising his inventive talents, and this new phase of his life provided new opportunities for stimulating his interests. In 2002, his new life involved remaining in San Jose, California. In retirement, he found new pleasure in helping the Church and participating in social activities. Even in retirement, Bao continued to stay in touch with his old friends and while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the community and felt fulfilled.

Bao passed away on March 18, 2010 at Mission De La Casa in San Jose, California. Bao fought a brave battle against Pneumonia. He is survived by his children, Peter, Quynh, Judy, Jackie, Huong, Cindy, Lori, Tony and Lieu; his grandchildren, Joseph, Diane, David, Nicholas, Cuong, Hung, Truc, Mai, Huyen, Quan, Son, Thu, Kevin, John, Richard, Jennifer, Steven, Henry, Helen, Christina, Christopher, Lucy and Charlie; and his great-grandchildren Harmony, Allison, Alaina, Khanh, Mi, Thanh, Phong, Vincent, Tina, John, Rachel, Tiner, Thina and Hailey. Services were held at St. Maria Goretti Church in San Jose, California. Bao was laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.

During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Bao. He met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Bao was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For Bao, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Bao Ngoc Tran, the fun of living his life could be found in the challenge.