Obituary of Gai Thi Truong

On November 27, 2023, Gai Truong, 74, of Alexandria, VA, passed away peacefully at Inova Fairfax holding her son’s hand. 

Gai was born in December of 1948, in the Quang Tri province of Vietnam, daughter of Hoang Truong and Chat Thi Tran. On April 30, 1975, during the Fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, Gai left Vietnam as a refugee on the MS Truong Xuan ship with 4,000 other refugees. She was rescued by a Danish Clara Maersk cargo ship and taken to a refugee camp in Hong Kong, where she stayed for six months and met the love of her life, Sang Pham. They both immigrated to America with the sponsorship of the 2^nd Presbyterian Church  of Oil City, PA, where Gai lived for 22 years and raised their two children, Robert Pham and Rebecca (Pham) Haug. Gai moved to Northern Virginia in 1998, where she remained until her time of passing. Gai worked in the kitchens of the hospitality industry until her retirement in 2013.

Despite having endured many hardships in her life, Gai maintained a positive attitude and showed kindness to everyone she met. Her love language was food – she loved making delicious meals for her family and friends. During her retirement years, she enjoyed growing herbs in her garden and learning new Vietnamese recipes through YouTube. She was a woman with strong family values and cherished her time with her children, grandchildren, and extended family.

Gai is survived by her husband Sang Pham, her son Robert Pham, her daughter Rebecca (Pham) Haug, her son-in-law Brian Haug, and three grandchildren, Emma Haug (12), Sophia Haug (10) and Nathan Haug (10). 

In lieu of flowers, please consider posting a tribute and photos on her memorial site 

FAMILY AND FRIENDS Visitation and viewing

2:00pm – 6:00pm

Saturday, December 2, 2023

Advent Funeral Services

7211 Lee Highway

Falls Church, Virginia, United States

703-241-7402

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**Please note, parking is limited onsite.  If parking is not available, please consider finding side street parking on Cameron Road and Greenway Blvd.