Phung Thi Nhat

Chantilly, -- Mrs. Le Van Giam Van Binh (aka Mrs. Nhat Le, her Americanized married name, aka Ms. Phung Thi Nhat, her maiden name) a long-time resident of Fairfax County, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, April 7, 2019 in her home surrounded by family. Born in North Viet Nam to a middle class family in 1916, Mrs. Le had a lovely childhood as the second oldest of four children. Mrs. Le completed her studies at a French-Vietnamese public school. She married Mr. Le Van Giam Van Binh in 1938 in Hanoi. They had three daughters. (Unfortunately, their oldest daughter, passed away at a young age due to an illness). Later, the Le family fled to South Viet Nam during the Communist takeover of North Viet Nam. The family resettled in Saigon, Republic of Viet Nam in 1954. Mrs. Le lived through the Empire of Japan’s occupation of Viet Nam, the French occupation during the mid-20th century, the Viet Nam War, and the Fall of Saigon. She and her youngest daughter survived the Vietnamese Communist regime for seven years. In 1983, they were reunited with her older daughter and her family in the United States. Undeterred that she needed to learn yet another language (after Japanese and French), Mrs. Le set out to learn English at the age of 67. Once she mastered the basics, she began studying for the US citizenship test. She passed with flying colors and became a naturalized US Citizen. Mrs. Le proudly voted in every national and local election since then. Mrs. Le loved her family—her grandchildren were her pride and joy. Meanwhile her seven great-grand-kids brought her even greater delight as she was present for all their births and all their birthdays during her ninth decade of life. Mrs. Le adored her great-grandchildren and would sit and talk with them, listen to them read or sing; and she always had a treat (or more) for every child. Her love for them was matched by their total adoration for her. Mrs. Le also enjoyed supporting and attending the hundreds of Vietnamese American Community events, special occasions, book releases, and cultural presentations throughout the years. She was at the annual July 4th parade practices without fail for over twenty years and attended many of the National Independence Day parades in Washington DC; cheering on the performers from the side of the street. Mrs. Le also loved cooking her family’s favorite dishes, gardening, and watching her flowers bloom and her fruits and vegetables take shape. Mrs. Le made a loving and enduring impact on everyone she met. Her grace, elegance, and kindness touched countless lives spanning four generations. Mrs. Le is survived by her two daughters: Mrs. Tram Ngoc Le Dinh and her husband Mr. Cuong Hung Dinh, and Ms. Uyen Tu Le. She is also survived by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: · Ms. Uyen Thuy Dinh, Esq. and her husband Brigadier General Joseph James McMenamin, USMC (Ret.) · Mr. Khoa Anh Dinh and his wife, Ms. Mary Margaret McLeroy, Esq. (and their daughters Mercy Thi and Mai-Ly Rowan) · Mrs. Uyen-Minh Dinh Favila and her husband, Mr. Michael Favila (and their children Derek Thien, Quinn-Luu, and Vincent Luc) · Dr. Minh-Chau Tran, MD and her husband, Mr. Ronald Tran (and their sons Elliot Hieu and Phillip Van) · Chief Petty Officer Kathleen Anne Reilly, USN (Ret.) and her husband, CSM Parry Baer, USA (Ret.) · Ms. Laurice Penn · Mrs. Chisa Hino Lundy and her husband Mr. Paul Lundy (and their daughters Yukino and Sara) Thank you for sharing your time with us to honor this incredible matriarch.