Catherine Ma' Chin H. Tran

Catherine Tran passed away on March 20, 2011 in Washington DC. She leaves behind 3 children: Lang and Bich Pham, Linh Pham and Minh Truong, and Martha Huynh-Hoa and Trung Nguyen, 9 grandchildren: Nhan and Nghi, Thanh, Nghia and Ngoc, Phuong and Andy, Hoang, Ngoc and Trung, Thuy-Anh, Christine, Anh-Dao and Ty, and their 11 great-grandchildren.

Ms. Tran was born on April 7, 1927 in Thu Dau Mot to Tran Cong Dang and Nguyen Thi Kinh. Ms. Tran met her husband, Michael Pham Long, also a devout Catholic born in Thu Dau Mot, and married him at the age of 19. Ms. Tran and Mr. Long raised their three children in pre-War Saigon, sending them to school and eventually the military and college against a backdrop of civil unrest and poverty. In 1975, years after the onset of the Vietnam War, Ms. Tran and her husband fled Vietnam for the US hours before the fall of Saigon.

In reestablishing a life in America, Ms. Tran quickly earned her stripes through what her friends and family would later recognize as her unique blend of resourcefulness, intelligence, and kind heart. Ms. Tran was self-taught in both spoken and written English, and quickly secured a position at the Hyatt Hotel Crystal City in the uniform department. She rose to become Uniform Manager at the hotel, where she worked for 20 years until retirement. During that time, she was so well-liked and held in such high regard by her colleagues that she earned “Employee of the Month” distinction numerous times.

In her private life, Ms. Tran was a loving and involved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was the most consistent living demonstration of the value of helping others, and rare was the occasion when her actions did not directly benefit another person. She was, and continues to be, the best example of pure good will.

In her later years, Ms. Tran enjoyed travels with her family to destinations including Hawaii, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Vietnam. In her daily life, she was a skilled gardener and talented cook, and maintained both activities into her older age.

Though she is missed by all who know her on this earth, we take comfort in knowing that Ms. Tran and her husband are reunited at last. They are profoundly missed.