Funeral for my Father Long Pham
My father suffered a brain stem stroke in 2017 and fought to stay with my family for another 3 years. On Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021 Long Pham passed peacefully in his sleep. On that afternoon we lost an artist, a mentor, and a father. Any amount donated will be greatly appreciated for his sudden passing. I thank you in advance. 
Below is a poetic tribute written by my brother Aaron Pham.
It is with heavy hearts that we write about the passing of Long Ngọc Phạm.
Long was born on February 19, 1946 in Nam Dinh, Vietnam. Trembles of a civil war led Long and his family to uproot their lives and migrate from North to South Vietnam. Eventually, Saigon would fall before his eyes. Unfathomable are the phantoms that linger from living through war. However, Long found lightness and beauty in the world, one illuminated by his Almighty God and tempered by the tender love of the Virgin Mary.
Long – a devout Catholic – would soon become a doting husband and father. In college, immersed in art, he caught a glimpse of his fondest subject, Yen Phan. They would not meet again for many years, and their reunion would lead to the union of marriage. The eldest son of his father, Long welcomed his eldest son Phu Pham in 1988. Artist. Sculptor. Long began work on his magnum opus – a better life for his family, far from his family in Vietnam. He mined gold from mountains for golden opportunities in the United States. Uprooted once again but with convictions to root himself in sturdier land, Long and his family in 1992 traded a fallen capital for the capital of the Free World.
With little fortune and fanfare, Long and Yen laid a foundation in this foreign land. In their new life, Long had to bid farewell to his crafts. He labored on, and in 1997, Yen labored the birth of their beautiful daughter, Elizabeth Pham. In his mother tongue, twisted and tangled, Long taught English to his son. To his daughter, Long taught his mother tongue. Long’s children were his joy and spark, and in them he sparked the joy of learning.
Long viewed the world through lenses. His favorite subjects? His family. From behind a camera, he directed the scenes and staged the sights. No moments were too mundane or too minuscule to be recorded…revisited. To his subjects, at times these moments felt like tedious tasks, but in hindsight, it’s clear, these mementoes were troves of treasures. This was his art and greatest gift, a lifelong endeavor – he long endeavored to capture in picture frames and reels the life he created for his children.
As he did most of his life, he heeded the call of God. He closed his eyes to hear the herding louder. He counted sheep and dozed off to join the flock to Heaven’s pastures. In the warm embraces of his father, mother, and younger brother, Long is now finally home, rooted.
Long’s legacy lives on in his wife Yen Phan, son Aaron Phu Pham, daughter Elizabeth Pham, extended family, and friends; flocking close or far together.