Pao Ying's Obituary
On August 5, 2015, Pao Ying, loving mother and grandmother, age 89, passed away peacefully at Tacoma General Hospital.
Born on May 6, 1926 in Cambodia, Pao lived humbly and courageously. Orphaned at a young age, Pao made a living by learning how to garden and selling vegetables at the market. Pao had five children and raised them as a single mother.
In 1975, the Khmer Rouge regime changed Pao’s life forever. She lost two sons from the atrocities and escaped capture with her daughter, Sok Yorn. They made the difficult journey by foot to the borders of Thailand to seek refuge. A survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide, Pao and her daughter lived in the refugee camps of Thailand and the Philippines from 1979 to 1982 before arriving to America in 1983. Three years later, Pao had three grandchildren, who she raised and cared for every day. Her favorite memory which she shared with friends often was walking her grandson, Morong Chhoeun, and granddaughter, Diannie Ran, to their elementary school every morning, while carrying youngest granddaughter, Lya Ran, a baby then, on her hips. Pao never saw her grandchildren without embracing them and giving them kisses.
Pao loved gardening and cooking, skills she had mastered and enjoyed teaching others. In every one of her residence, Pao always tended to a garden of Thai basil and mint. The same garden of herbs carrying the same seeds she had, would later grow in the homes of her daughter and close friends. Those who lived next to Pao knew how giving she was. When she cooked, she always made sure there was more than enough to share with others living nearby. This was just something Pao did. She valued community, and others gravitated towards her because of her generous heart.
Pao’s dedication to family and unconditional love for her grandchildren, daughter, and son-in-law, Ran Chhoeun, was seen and felt every day. She often spoke about her family in Cambodia and how much she missed her late and surviving sons dearly. Pao instilled in her family the value of working hard, the importance of being kind towards others, and the art of cultivating dreams and willing them to life. She was an inspiration.
Pao cared for her family deeply, and in her final days, her wish for her grandchildren was to love and support one another and to care for their mother. She expressed sorrow about not having the opportunity to be beside her daughter any longer. They were together nearly every day of her daughter’s life. Pao’s last day would be no different. It was beside her daughter on her hospital bed that Pao passed of old age. She lived with compassion, dignity, and strength. Pao will be missed and remembered every day. The lessons she taught will continue to resonate with her daughter and grandchildren.
A celebration of Pao’s life will take place at her daughter’s Tacoma home from 9 AM on August 15th. Visitation will then proceed from 1 PM – 5 PM at Mount View Funeral Home in Lakewood, Washington. Pao will put to rest to join her late husband, three sons, and dear friends in peace.
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