In Loving Memory of Mai Van Tran

His legacy was his family; his family was his pride and joy.

Trần Văn Mai, a devoted husband, caring father, proud grandfather and beloved great-grandfather, passed away peacefully in his home on August 20, 2026, surrounded by the family he loved and the legacy he cherished.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7

Born on January 5, 1936, in Trung-Hoà (Bùi Chu), Mai lost both his parents at an early age during the famine of 1945 (Nạn đói năm Ất Dậu). With little more than his faith and a will to live, he begged strangers for scraps of food and survived hardships no child should have had to endure. In his early teenage years, he was taken in by relatives, who provided care and support. That stability did not last long, as the 1954 Geneva Accords brought about the Mass Emigration (Cuộc di cư năm 1954), during which Mai and his relatives migrated to South Vietnam, settling in Phước Tỉnh (Vũng Tàu). There, Mai learned the skills of the trade and became a successful fisherman.

He married Vũ Thị Hiên on January 25, 1957, beginning a marriage that would span nearly 70 years and be blessed with 14 children.

When Saigon fell in 1975, Mai and his family left behind their home, their livelihood, and the life they had built, in search of safety and religious freedom in the United States. With 12 children in tow, they carried little more than the necessities -- and Mai’s beloved statue of Mother Mary.

Through every uncertainty, faith remained their constant.

The family eventually settled in Versailles, a Vietnamese-American neighborhood in East New Orleans, where Catholic faith and daily Mass were woven into the fabric of community life. There in Versailles, Mai’s family grew from 12 to 14 children. There in Versailles, Mai worked tirelessly so his children could grow, learn, and flourish. Above all, he instilled in them a deep faith and trust in the Lord.

His faith would be tested once more in August 2005, when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana, tearing down trees, flooding streets and homes, including the home he and his wife had built through years of sacrifice and hard work.

Once again, they endured.

Mai and his wife eventually relocated to Minnesota to be near their children, trading the heat and humidity of Louisiana for a place and climate new to them. And as before, Mai brought with him his beloved statue of Mother Mary, to whom he had turned throughout his life for comfort, strength, and prayer.

Through famine and war, through displacement, and through the devastation of a hurricane, that statue traveled with him — a quiet reflection of the faith that did the same.

Mai’s life story is not defined by the tragedies he endured, nor by the hardships that few can fully imagine. Famine, war, displacement, and hurricanes – each chapter brought loss, uncertainty, and change, yet none diminished his faith in God, his devotion to his family, or his determination to keep moving forward. He was a survivor; more importantly, he was a builder. Through perseverance, sacrifice, faith, and love, he created opportunities for his family and for the generations that followed.

There is sadness in saying goodbye to a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, but there is also profound gratitude for a life that overcame so much, gave so much, and loved so deeply.

Mai fought the good fight. He finished the race. He kept the faith. And now, may he rest peacefully in the arms of our Lord.

Trần Văn Mai was preceded in death by his parents Trần Văn Quả and Trần Thị Nhài, his daughter, Kim Dung, and son-in-law, Thành Nguyễn. He is survived by his wife, Vũ Thị Hiên; his 13 children and their spouses, Xuân / Khải and wife Lệ / Trúc (widowed) / Sen and husband Châu / Quỳnh / Thế and wife Uyên / Huệ and husband Thuỷ / Loan / Hùng and wife Như / Vương and wife Thuỳ-Vy / Khánh and wife Kim / Mỹ and husband Peter / Kayla Nga and husband Luân; his 38 grandchildren and spouses and 13 great-grandchildren, John and wife Erin and daughter Ella / Jessica / Monica / Joseph / Michael / Lisa and husband Thinh and children Jayden, Adrian, Melina / Theresa / Tom / Allen and son Zennon / Tram / David / Diana / Theodore / Matthew / Jonathan / Melissa and husband Andre and children Madelynn, Alexander, Levi, Benjamin, Raphael, Emmelia, Zelie / Nancy and husband Terry and son Michelangelo / Paul and wife Marlena / Andrew / Christopher / Stephanie / Angela / Pauline / Elise and husband Bryan / Dan-Thien / Phong / Elisha / Emma / Nathan / Ethan / Noah / Nicholas / Elijah / Darin / Samantha / Lillie / Mya / Isaac

Visitation, Prayer & Funeral Program

Thurston DeShaw Funeral Home

13817 Jay Street Northwest, Andover, MN 55304

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

5:00–8:00 PM: Prayers and visitation

Thursday, August 27, 2026

• 5:00–8:00 PM: Prayers and visitation
• 6:00 PM: Funeral Rite / Memorial Service
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Funeral Mass & Burial 

Epiphany Catholic Church

1900 111th Ave, Coon Rapids, MN 55433

• Friday, August 28, 2026
• 9:30–10:15 AM: Visitation
• 10:30 AM: Funeral Mass
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• After Mass, Mai's remains will be laid to rest at Epiphany Catholic Cemetery, at the same address.
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“Xin miễn phúng điếu” — In lieu of funeral wreaths or funeral donations, Mai’s family kindly requests that monetary gifts be offered toward Mass Intentions (xin lễ) for the repose of his soul, under the patronage of his baptismal saint, Saint Peter.