Sai Van Pham

Sai Van Pham, 90, of Lansing, MI passed away in Okemos, MI to be with our Lord Jesus Christ on April 6, 2020. He was born on May 5, 1929, in Nam Dinh, Vietnam. After losing his father and oldest brother at the age of 6 and his mother by the time he was 12, Sai had to quit school and survive with his older brother of a few years. Poverty was rampant, so he was no stranger to hard work. At 17, he enlisted in the French Army for 4 years to fight against the northern Vietnamese communists who were growing in power. He married after leaving the Army and in the next few years, he lost his first two sons, each within a few hours after childbirth. When the French agreed to withdraw their troops in northern Vietnam, dividing the nation into two zones, Sai and his wife escaped to South Vietnam in 1955 in search of freedom and a better way of life. His strong faith and trust in God was all they needed.

During this time, he simultaneously worked a few jobs to provide for his growing family, eventually landing a pivotal job transporting humanitarian aid from USAID at the capital’s international airport. Soon funding would end, so the supervisor recommended Sai for a job as a chauffeur at the U.S. Embassy in Saigon due to his solid work ethic. He was extremely proud of this job, which provided for his wife and 9 children and would ultimately change their lives forever.

Sai’s comfort with their peaceful life would soon be overshadowed by the threat of communists moving into the South. In the early morning hours of April 30, 1975, as North Vietnamese communists invaded Saigon, Sai would escape from them again. This time he had help from the last of the US Marines, who evacuated the entire family in a helicopter from the embassy.

After a few months in a refugee camp, The Church of the Resurrection in Lansing, Michigan sponsored the whole family. They arrived in August 1975 as one of the first Vietnamese refugee families to reside there. Sai and his wife would soon be blessed with 2 more children bringing the total to 11 -- 3 boys and 8 girls. With the help of kind church parishioners, Sai’s family settled into their new American life, and he found employment at Michigan State University’s Physical Plant as a custodian. His dedication, positive attitude, and attention to detail did not go unnoticed with glowing performance evaluations from his supervisor. He was very proud to work at MSU and always said that every honest job is a good job--it’s the person who makes the job, not the other way around. And although he could not afford an education in Vietnam, he consistently stressed the importance and value of education to his children and grandchildren. After 19 years, he retired at age 65 and spent the next 20 years traveling with his family to Vietnam, UK, Europe, China, and Australia. Some highlights were attending an outdoor Mass by Pope Benedict in Lourdes, France; Vatican City, Italy; and reuniting with cousins in Australia they hadn’t seen in 38 years.

Throughout his life, Sai was known for his generosity and charity. Not only did they support their immediate family back in Vietnam, he and his wife contributed to multiple Catholic churches, locally as parishioners and throughout Vietnam. They also donated to many religious orders and convents, even sponsoring a couple of seminarians. Their goodwill extended to various orphanages and a leper clinic in Vietnam. In addition to raising 11 children, Sai and his wife assisted Lutheran Social Services with placement of several teenage Vietnamese refugees by fostering them until they reached age 18.

His family will remember him most for his unwavering faith, his love and sacrifice for them, his strong work ethic, and his contagious laugh. He is survived by his 11 children: Delbert (Khanh) Pham, MyDung (Hai) Bui, Thu-Huong (Duy) Tran, Lan (Huy) Dao, Kim Kristian Pham, David (Minh-Thu) Pham, Le-Lieu (David) Pham, KT “Kim-Tuyen” Pham, Kim Oanh (Matthew) Wolfe, MaryAnn (Minh) Tran, and Daniel Pham; 20 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. In addition to his parents, two brothers, and two sons, Sai was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nhan, of 65 ½ years when she passed in 2015.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 am on Saturday, June 20, 2020, at St. Andrew Dung-Lac Church. The Rite of Committal will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-8 pm on Friday, June 19, 2020, at Gorsline-Runciman Funeral Home in East Lansing, MI with Rosary prayer from 7-8 pm. The family will also receive guests at 9:30 am at the church on Saturday before Mass.

Masks and social distancing are required at both the funeral home and Church. Masks will be available for those who do not bring their own. Due to safety restrictions and concerns, a reception will not be held following the Rite of Committal Ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Church of the Resurrection or any reputable veteran organization, such as Disabled American Veterans. Please contact the family for a way to submit Mass intentions.

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