Vien Van Tran

Vien Van Tran passed away peacefully on August 7, 2023, in Houston, Texas. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle. He was born in Cho Lon, Vietnam, on July 23, 1932. He was one of seven children, and the youngest of four boys. In 1946, at the age of 14, his parents sent him to boarding school in Toulouse, France, at the onset of the French Indochina War. He would remain in Toulouse for 11 years, where he attended college for mathematics, and later obtained a Masters in Engineering from the École Nationale Supérieure Des Télécommunications in October 1959 in Paris. He returned to Saigon Vietnam where he founded the first telecommunications school, became the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, and the Chairman of the Board of Air Vietnam. He married his beloved wife, Thu Suong Tran, in 1967.

In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, he fled Vietnam with his family to the United States. The family stationed in Guam for a short time, and then to Camp Pendleton, near San Diego, California. They were eventually sponsored by a family and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked as an electrical engineer for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company. Due to the bitter winters, he made his way to Grand Prairie, and later to Richardson, Texas. He was employed by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company which would later become AT&T. He retired from the company in 1995 and moved to Houston, Texas in 2006, after the birth of his youngest granddaughter, where he called his home.

He was extremely intelligent, curious, hardworking, diligent, and knowledgeable on so many topics. He was an avid reader and student of life. He had a green thumb, could fix almost anything, including cars, and computers. He was an amazing cook, particularly in French cuisine. He loved to teach his children and grandchildren and spent quiet, quality time with them. He loved classical music and had a very fine palate for food and rare cognacs. And, his favorite food, hands-down, was Texas bar-b-que.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Thu Suong Tran; son Hai Thanh Tran and wife Diep; daughter Tuyet Ton-Nu Olson and husband Dean, daughter Tran Hoa and husband Bao, daughter Thuy Thanh Tran and husband Diep, daughter Thu Anh Lilly Tran and husband Son, daughter Thi Anh Nina Tran-Moraw and husband Reed, and 16 grandchildren. He lived life to the fullest and recently celebrated his 91st birthday, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He is dearly missed, and he has left an everlasting legacy of love. The family is so thankful for the outpouring of love and support from everyone.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 19, 2023, at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home and Cemetery, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77077, with visitation from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., and the ceremony from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in memory of Vien Van Tran to American Diabetes Association at:

https://diabetes.org/?form=FUNKLSUXDCQ&ada_source=WWW230801HW001M001CC&ada_sub_source=homepage