Tan Trinh

Tan Trinh, 101 years old by the lunar calendar, passed away on August 10, 2025 in the comfort of his own home surrounded multiple generations of family recalling our favorite memories of such a great man.

He was born on July 24, 1925, in Nam Dinh, Vietnam, to Tcheng Ki Sam and Fan Si to a family of seven siblings. He spent his childhood traveling between Vietnam and his family’s ancestral home in China, completing most of his education there. Even as a boy, Tan was known for his quick wit, intelligence, and mischievous streak, often recounting tales of daring pranks and adventures from a world we only dreamed of from our new suburban Colorado homestead.

Tan is survived by his beloved wife of 72 years, Van Cao, and their seven children: Anh Chau Trinh, Tulien Loitrinh née Trinh, Minh Chau Trinh, Tee Trinh, John Trinh, Tin Trinh, and Tan Trinh Jr. He adored his grandchildren—Sarah Beebe née Ha, Eric Ha, Tuan Loi, Michele Loi, Cassandra Batson née Ly, Calvin Ly, Katherine Phillips née Trinh, Darrel Trinh, Cindy Trinh, Kendra Trinh, Ryan Trinh, Jasmine Trinh, Melanie Trinh, Kaylynn Trinh, Mariah Trinh and Olivia Trinh — as well as their spouses and his great-grandchildren, greeting them with high fives and gentle hugs, the kind only the most adoring grandfathers can give.

Tan and Van Cao lovingly and resourcefully raised their family in Saigon, Vietnam, through the Vietnam War. A gifted painter and printmaker, Tan made his career painting movie posters, which he and his children would paste on the walls outside Ben Thanh Market. In 1985, he immigrated to the United States, embracing every opportunity his new country offered. He loved America. He earned his driver’s license and drove countless trips to deliver his grandchildren to school (no easy task since there were so many of us), believing genuinely in the value of education and pursuing excellence. He gave freely to charities whatever he could and loved gathering his family for meals at restaurants.

A devoted fan of WWF wrestling, Tan’s favorite wrestler was Hulk Hogan, whom he jokingly claimed as his son. At age 88, he met Mr. Hogan in Las Vegas, greeting him with a heartfelt, “You the number one!” One of his proudest achievements was years of research and use of his savings to discover long lost relatives in rural Asia to complete an extensive family tree. This culminated in a handwritten, meticulously researched genealogical tree, bound into a book and shared with family worldwide and protecting our family’s heritage for years to come. He also spent summers teaching his grandchildren how to write Chinese with his exceptional penmanship. In later years when traveling was not possible, he became an avid Facebook user—proudly calling himself the “Facebook King”—keeping in touch with friends and family around the globe.

Known for his trademark red beret and iconic “V for Victory” pose in photos, Tan was unforgettable to all who met him. He had a saying “不要輕視他人”which means “don’t look down on others,” a principle that resonates to this very day and beyond. His resilience was legendary—surviving two open-heart surgeries, three angioplasties, and prostate cancer to live a full century. When asked what to list as his occupation on his death certificate, there was only one word that fit: Artist.

Tan Trinh saw beauty, love, and joy in both the ordinary and extraordinary. He lived life with energy, creativity, humor, and a boundless capacity for connection. We will miss him so deeply. We hope that everyone impacted by him will cherish the memories of the way he made everything around him more energetic, more joyful and more beautiful.

The family will not be accepting donations; we ask that a memory be shared instead.