Tran Tu Sharier

Tran Tu Sharier, born Tran Tu Kha on March 24, 1942, in Cholon, South Vietnam, lived a life centered on family, hard work, and love.

Tran met her husband, James Sharier Sr., in Vietnam, where her brother served as James’s interpreter during his military service. Through that connection, they met, fell in love, and were married in Vietnam. They shared 50 years of marriage and built a life together that took their family from Vietnam to Alaska, Germany, and ultimately Killeen, Texas.

Their son James Jr. was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam; their daughter Yvonne was born while the family was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska; and their son Chris was born in Würzburg, Germany. The family eventually returned to Central Texas and made Killeen their permanent home.

Tran spent many years working in food service at Fort Hood, serving soldiers until her retirement. She was also a wonderful Vietnamese cook, and her family especially remembers her egg rolls. When family came to visit, Tran loved to cook for everyone. Most often, those visits meant sharing lunch together, followed by games around the table.

Tran enjoyed bingo and Blackjack, but for her, the games were never just about winning. They were about laughter, togetherness, and spending time with the people she loved. Some of the family’s fondest memories are of enjoying one of Tran’s meals and then settling in for a game of Blackjack afterward.

Tran had a personality all her own.

She was feisty, stubborn, honest, and wonderfully unfiltered. She was not argumentative; she simply spoke with freedom and said exactly what she thought. When someone did something she thought was foolish, she was quick to call it out with her familiar, “You dinky dau.” Whether it was a question or a statement was never entirely clear, which made it all the more endearing to those who knew and loved her.

When Tran disagreed with something, you could see the fire in her eyes. But those same eyes were filled with an unmistakable love for her family. That combination of strength, spirit, and tenderness was simply who she was.

Tran was the loving mother of James Jr. and his wife Jennifer, Yvonne, and Chris. She was a proud grandmother to William and his wife Stephanie, Nathan, and Andrew-Jake, and a beloved great-grandmother to Ezra.

Her family will remember the lunches around her table, her egg rolls, bingo games, Blackjack afterward, her unmistakable honesty, the fire in her eyes, and above all, the love she had for them.

Tran was deeply loved and will be greatly missed. Her spirit, her strength, and the memories she created will remain with her family for generations to come.

Forever loved. Forever remembered. Forever in our hearts.