Khôi Thế Phan

Our father, Mr. Phan Thế Khôi, was born on December 13, 1933, in Vĩnh Yên, a quiet town northwest of Ha Noi where his childhood was shaped by the noble traditions of an old traditional family that cherished learning, honor, moral integrity and focus on education.

But his childhood innocence did not last long.

In 1941, when he was only eight years old, his father passed away. From that tender age, he learned what it meant to live without a father’s protection and guidance. The grief of that loss never left him — but neither did it weaken him. Instead, it became the silent fire that forged his inner strength. Hardship did not make him bitter; it made him resolute. Poverty did not diminish him; it refined him.

As a young student with a French education at Puginier and Albert Sarraut, he carried more than books on his shoulders — he carried responsibility. Each afternoon, the thin, serious young boy walked to tutor other students so he could help his widowed mother raise his two younger siblings. He was still a child, yet already a pillar. Teaching was not simply a way to earn money; it was the calling that would define his life and future career.

In 1954, in the midst of national upheaval, he left his hometown and moved south to Saigon to continue his studies. There, he earned his Baccalaureate from Chasseloup-Laubat High School — not through privilege, but through discipline and relentless effort. With a deep knowledge and a profound love for education from a young age, he began teaching French Literature and Mathematics. He taught at respected schools such as Nguyễn Bá Tòng, Hưng Đạo, and Phan Sào Nam. His integrity and reputation were such that he was entrusted with tutoring the children of Vice President Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ. Yet his greatest dream was still ahead.

From 1960 to 1975, he founded “Cours Secondaire Phan Thế Khôi” school. That school was not simply a workplace; it was his heart and soul. It was his belief that education must shape not only intelligent minds, but upright moral souls. The French Consulate in Saigon recognized the quality of his school education programs, and many French families entrusted their children to his care. Generations of students passed through those doors — and many carried his lessons for the rest of their lives.

In 1961, he married and began what he would consider his most sacred vocation: fatherhood. Eight children were born into his care. To us, he was strict with principles, sometimes even intimidating. But beneath that firm exterior was a love deeper than we could understand at the time. Every rule he set, every correction he gave, was rooted in sacrifice. He worked tirelessly so we could study. He demanded discipline because he wanted us to be strong. He reminded us constantly to live by God’s Ten Commandments, to attend Mass faithfully, to honor Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to walk honestly in a complicated world.

He did not simply tell us how to live — he showed us.

After 1975, darkness fell upon our family’s future. There were failed attempts to escape by sea, imprisonment, fear, uncertainty, and loss. Many would have surrendered to despair. But our father never did. His faith did not collapse under pressure; it deepened. His hope did not fade; it endured. With quiet determination, he reached out to the French Ministry of Education. In recognition of his past contributions, the French government sponsored our family’s resettlement.

In 1980, we arrived in Lille, in northern France where his youngest daughter was born in the land of freedom and the family experienced in the first bitter freezing winter. We had little — except his courage. With nine young children to feed and guide, he began again from nothing. Six months later, he had accepted a teaching position at L’École Saint Philippe in Meudon. Soon after, the Académie de Versailles recognized him as a professor, and the mathematics examinations he composed were selected as official exams across the Bassin Parisien region. He never boasted about these achievements. His pride was never for himself — it was always for his family.

Later, still thinking of our future, he uprooted us once more and brought us to the United States. From Corpus Christi to Austin, he worked faithfully for 20 years as a Tax Examiner until his retirement. After a lifetime of shaping minds, he quietly served in public office, carrying the same integrity and discipline into every task.

Our father’s life was a bumpy road. It was marked by sacrifice, migration, loss, rebuilding, and beginning again — over and over. Yet through every season, he remained our foundation. From a fatherless boy of eight, he became the unshakable pillar of a large family scattered across continents.

What he leaves behind is far greater than professional accomplishments.

He leaves us faith that does not surrender.

He leaves us integrity that does not bend.

He leaves us love that expresses itself through sacrifice.

He leaves us the example of a man who never gave up — not on life, not on God, and not on his children.

From his constant reminder to the children that need to be gracefully of how much God and mother Mary had blessed the family over the years.

His passing is the deepest sorrow and heartbroken to our mother has known after 64 years of beautiful marriage. For us, it is the loss of our first teacher, our moral compass, our quiet protector.

But even in grief, we hear his voice.

Be strong.

Keep your faith.

Honor God.

Live uprightly.

Dad, thank you for everything you endured so that we could stand tall.

Thank you for your discipline, your sacrifices, your unwavering faith.

You were — and will always remain — the greatest teacher of our lives.

Your love is now our inheritance.

Your faith is now our strength.

Your example will forever be our guiding light.

We Love You Forever, Dad

Visitation will be held at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home, located at 14501 North Interstate 35, Pflugerville, Texas, 78660. The visitation is scheduled for March 5, 2026, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and on March 6, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

A prayer service will take place at Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church, 1107 E Yager Ln, Austin, Texas, 78753, on March 6, 2026, from 5:45 pm to 8:00 pm.

The funeral service is scheduled for March 7, 2026, at 10:00 am, at Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church, 1107 E Yager Ln, Austin, Texas, 78753.

The committal will follow at Cook-Walden Memorial Hill, 13700 North Interstate 35, Pflugerville, Texas, 78660, on March 7, 2026, at 11:30 am.