Sau Chan Truong 張秀珍

My mother – how do I begin? My mother had 3 daughters – Sonia, Wendy and Emily. Despite trying for a son, she ended up with 3 girls – how unfortunate for my father having to live in a household of girls! Growing up, she was always the strong and feisty parent, never gives up on a fight and always had to win all the arguments. Regardless of who she was battling with, my mom was a stubborn woman that always had to end up on top. This is probably why she married my father, she knew that she married a devoted partner that would treat her well and loved her enough to let her think that a woman was always right. We grew up with the best parents, both hard working individuals that were committed to raising a happy and loving family.

A lot of people that knew my mother well would describe her to be friendly, social and an energetic individual. She always had a packed schedule with never a moment to rest. If she was not selling products for Market America, she would be providing haircuts to her family and friends or traveling to the United States. She loved visiting the states because in her mind, she was saving a buck, not factoring in the horrible exchange rate. Her downtime would be calling her friends and family on the phone, checking to see how each and everyone was doing and offering help and support in any way.

My mother was also an amazing cook! She always hosted great dinners and functions at our home to all of her family and friends. Everyone would enjoy her feasts and it was the place to be during the holidays. She would celebrate any occasion as an excuse to throw a party and feed the people she loved. Every time you visited my mom, she would feed you until you were stuffed and send you home with leftovers for days! Luckily my father is genetically skinny and never really put on the weight to show for how much he really ate. People would often ask my father if his wife was starving him until they had a meal with my mother…then they knew the truth. My mother had 3 refrigerators in the home and an extra freezer, always bursting with food. Her excuse was that you never know when an earthquake would hit, the groceries would save our lives. But if an earthquake did hit, the groceries would be buried anyways – no logic whatsoever but we appreciate the endless groceries anyways.

My mother loved life to the fullest and never let a day go by without any social activity. She is the outgoing one in the family, often getting invited to do things and attend events unlike the rest of the family who are all introverted anti-social individuals. They made the perfect match because you always need balance in any relationship.

My mother will be truly missed by everyone. She touched a lot of peoples’ lives and is a bright light that continues to shine in our hearts. You will forever be remembered – your strength, commitment and passion for life pave the ways for us and we are very appreciative. Thank you for everything that you have done for our family, we love you mom and may you rest in peace.