Chau was born August 2, 1935 in the village of Hanh Thien, Nam Dinh- province of North Vietnam. Like many others in Vietnam, she started work at the young age of 12 as a fabric merchant. Her days began at dawn, traveling by foot and carrying loads of heavy fabric to various markets spanning over 20 miles. She would often return home in the evening, only to head out again early the next morning.
In 1954, with just a small bag of her belongings, she left her family in Hanh Thien with her in-laws and headed to South Vietnam. There she started her new life with Khao Dang, a Lieutenant Graduate of the 8th class at the Da Lat Army Academy. She continued to follow Khao across fortresses in Vietnam, including: Cao Nguyen Lam Dong, Hue, Saigon, Vinh Long, and Can Tho.
Chau and Khao became parents to 7 children. As a leading officer in the Army, Khao spent his time at work, while Chau maintained the household. She worked as a housewife, mom and as a business merchant to provide support and care for her family and her in-laws.
During the fall of Vietnam in 1975, the Dang family fled in hopes of a brighter future. They packed up all they could, ran, and boarded a US Navy Battleship — as the boat was leaving the dock, she was the last person to jump on making sure everyone in her family was secure and onboard the ship. Admist the chaos and terror, Chau was a rock for the family, making sure everyone felt safe and strong leaving their home behind. Like many others, they became refugees in neighboring countries, Guam and the Philippines. Months later they settled in Des Moines, Iowa. This is where Chau began her new life in the US. She learned to speak English and continued to maintain her primary role as a full time mother and wife helping her family adjust to a new world. During this time, she also started a career as a factory technician. She did quality control and learned how to manage, package, and supply paper bags. In 1977, The Dang family decided to move west to California. They settled in San Jose where Chau continued her career and later retired from Amdahl company as an electrical assembly technician. During this time, she continued to raise her kids and watched each of them grow into their own life. She was their support system, an ear to listen to and a shoulder to cry on, all the while keeping their hearts filled with love and laughter.
In her spare time, Chau made sure to visit the local temples, Kim Son Giac Minh and Duc Vien. She wanted to pay her respects to Buddha and engage with other patrons for fun loving conversations. Chau often spent her weekends with her kids and her grandkids, going to stores like Macy’s, Tuesday Morning, and Michaels. Occasionally, she did like to sneak in some visits to the local casinos or even a quick trip to Reno. Her favorite game was playing on the slot machines. The rest of the family would just sit there for hours, watching her play line after line, not single lines - multiple lines.
Chau really enjoyed traveling with her children and her grandkids. The families traveled all across the US and Asia. From Hawaii, to Las Vegas, Cancun, Missouri, and Florida, to a series of China provinces and Vietnam. One of her most treasured memories was being able to come back home to North Vietnam where she visited with her relatives who she had not seen for over 30 years. This trip brought her great joy to be reunited with her kin.
Aside from traveling, there were two pastimes that she absolutely loved- plants and playing cards.
It was no secret she had an amazing green thumb. She took beautiful care of her plants, particularly her orchids. Chau took extra care of each of her orchids all year long so that they would be ready and fully bloomed in time for the Tet Festival. One of the fondest memories of the children was when we were moving them from San Diego back to San Jose, there was one big truck dedicated to just plants! There were more plants than there was furniture! Sometimes we wondered if she loved her plants more than her children!
We cannot forget the cards. There is absolutely no doubt that she loved to play Bai Trang Doi. Every weekend, mom and dad would host a card game at their house with their kids, and close family friends. She made sure there is food for everyone and played cards for hours on end. I remember watching her play, she calculated and analyzed each play so well that she often won. Her favorite foods: xoi Gac , xoi vo`, banh day cha lua, banh Luu, che` ba ba, che troi nuoc, che tao son.
Over time, Chau’s age began to take a toll. She became ill and was in and out of hospitals. Most recently, she suffered two strokes and had to fight her way out of the ICU.
Although it seemed like a moment ago that she was raising and taking care of us kids, it was now our turn to take care of her during her most delicate days. We saw the fight in her eyes to get better and the drive to be with family. She followed our guidance for daily physical therapy and diet. We made sure she was well taken care of, comfortable, and most of all, loved.
As we gather here today, in memory of Chau Dang, there is one thing we will cherish and take with us forever. It is the love she had for every single person in our family. She loved her husband, her children, her grandkids, and her great grandkids all the same. We often joked and asked her who she loved the most, who was her favorite. Her answer was always the same:' No, ma' Thuong dong deu, khong co dua nao nhieu hon dua nao het!"
Con ca'm on ma' da lo lang', cham soc', nuoi nang va day bao cac con to become who we are today.
Thank you for loving us as much as you did and being 1 of the 2 two hearts to our family. We are lost without you but know that one day we will all see you again. We love you.
Your fight has come to end Mom. We pray for you to be at peace; we ask Phat Thich Ca, Phat Ba Quan The Am to take you and guide you to coi Vinh Hang.
The Dang family
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