Quan Cao

Quan Cao, beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather and great grandfather, passed away Sunday, February 13, 2022. He was 84 years old.

A life enthusiast who loved to travel, explore cultures & languages and capture moments on film, Quan received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture at the University of the Philippines, and achieved his Master of Science at Cornell University through a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation. He and Ngoc-Tram Nguyen, his wife of 61 years, were married at the Embassy of Vietnam in Washington, DC, while he was completing his master’s degree.

Quan tenured with Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and his last position with the South Vietnamese government was Assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Economic Development. He made many life-long international friends through his love for language and his numerous education and work travels.

After the Vietnam war, the couple immigrated to America in the Spring of 1975 with their five children. Thanks to the sponsorship of an old friend, the Cao family landed in Virginia. Quan then jumped at the opportunity to work for the Agency for International Development as a contractor, which would take the family to Niger, West Africa. From early 1976 until he retired, Quan worked across Africa, including tours of duty in Zaire, French Guinea, Madagascar and Senegal.

Quan Cao came into this world with nothing but left this world an abundantly blessed man, rich in love. He leaves behind his wife Tram, five children and their spouses: Thuy and Michael Lynch, Van and Thuan Tran, Diep and Ngan Duong, Hai and Michael Eastman, and Hung and April Cao. Quan is also grieved by 14 grandchildren, David and Lynne (Consevage) Lynch; Lan (Britton) and Loc Tran; Quoc and Binh Duong; Christy (Clark), Katie and Jack Eastman; Gabriel, Grace, Evelyn, Claire and Liam Cao; and one great-grandson, Leo Eastman. All of Quan’s loving grandchildren can recall him on the floor or at the playgrounds with them, showering them with food and love.

A memorial service will be hosted on Monday, February 21 at 1:00PM with a 3-hour long viewing opportunity prior to the service and a final hour of visitation following.