Huong Thien Tran

Huong was born on June 15, 1963, in Saigon, Vietnam. She lived in Saigon until 1990 when she moved with her parents and siblings to Ann Arbor, Michigan through a refugee resettlement program following the Vietnam War.

Before leaving Vietnam, Huong worked as a seamstress in Saigon, a craft she continued professionally for several years after settling in Ann Arbor. She later worked in the payroll office at Washtenaw Community College before beginning a nearly 20-year career in food service with Ann Arbor Public Schools. She especially loved working lunch at Wines Elementary School, where she enjoyed getting to know the children she served lunch to. Huong’s love of making things stayed with her throughout her life; outside of work, she loved crafting and sewing and was always creating something with her hands.

Huong faced cancer for nearly nine years with extraordinary perseverance. Even while undergoing chemotherapy every other week, she continued to live her life. During the weeks she did not have chemotherapy, she would go swimming, a small routine that reflected the strength and determination with which she approached life.

Huong is survived by her two daughters, Anna Heim and Gina Heim. She was preceded in death by her father, Hien Thien Tran, her mother, Chinh Thi Cung and her sister Kim Thien Tran.

Huong will be remembered for the life she built, the people she cared for, and the quiet strength with which she moved through the world. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her family, friends, and all those whose lives she touched.