Truyen Duyet Doan, 81, passed away peacefully in the early hours of April 29th from natural causes at Bridgepoint Hospital while attending rehabilitation. Truyen lived a warm and full life, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Truyen’s legacy lives on through his wife, My Khanh Trieu, his three children, Dianna (Chris), Joseph (Carrie), Sherry (Murat), his beloved grandchildren, Ben, Daniel, Jacob, Jordan, and Farah and his two sisters, Bang and Phuong Doan.

Truyen Doan was more than an incredible father, he was a beloved son, husband, brother, uncle, grandfather, and friend. He will be fondly remembered and missed beyond words.

While life was not always easy, Truyen lived an honorable and fulfilling life. He lost his father and older brother by the age of 7. He was raised by a single mother and was thrown into a parental role for his two younger sisters at a very early age. He had to grow up a lot earlier than many, and he had to learn at an early age what hardship really was.

He did not, however, let his early childhood experiences deter or define him. He was a happy boy. As a young boy in the fifth class of Qiao Middle School in Vietnam, he made many friends. It was at this school that he aptly earned the nickname "The Legend of the White Ghost" because of his fair and rosy skin, his high nose, and handsome appearance. It was this nickname that would live with him till his very last breath.

In his first semester of high school, to respond to the needs of his country, he decided to drop out and work as a translator. This decision to do so effectively played a critical role in Vietnam's socialist construction.

After completing his translation work, and in his quest for lifelong learning, he decided to improve his professional skills and enrolled in a mechanical engineering course while on the job.

He eventually graduated from the University of Haiphong with an engineering degree, a feat very difficult to accomplish during that time period. He began work as an engineer at the Vietnam Mechanical Design Institute, and later worked as a technician in a plastics factory, fully imparting the plastic production techniques he learned while translating in China to Vietnamese workers.

Once the unfolding Vietnam war and unsettling political climate became imminent, together with his wife, mother, and 2 sisters, Truyen and his family headed to Canada. They all made this hopeful, yet difficult journey through unforgiving waters and treacherous terrain in hopes of a better life. He didn't have much money, but he did have big dreams and an unwavering work ethic.

The journey, Truyen would later recall to his children, was difficult, but with hope, love, and faith, they made it to Canada with no understanding of the language but the promise of a better, yet humble beginning.

In the new country, no matter what kind of work he did, he continued to use his technical expertise and worked hard. It wasn’t easy work, he came home exhausted at the end of the day and would often just come home and listen to his music to ease his aches and pains.

Over the years, he learned new trades when he needed to so that he could always ensure that his now two children always had a meal to eat and a home to come to.

Eventually, he grew his family to include a third daughter and spent the second part of his life focused on being a great dad to his baby girl in a beautiful home he was able to call his own. Throughout the years, he watched his children grow, never missing a parent-teacher interview, school concert or doctor’s appointment. He always came home to his family and they always enjoyed family dinners, creating lasting memories and documenting them with his camera.

He was very proud of his children who have all gone on to achieve their own successes in life and have created their own beautiful families.

In the last part of his life, Truyen spent his time as a retired man with his loving wife My Khanh, learning new things on his computer and taking notes much like he did as a student in Vietnam. Spending quality time with his immediate family was what he always looked forward to, with every special occasion celebrated, savouring each precious moment. He enjoyed gardening in the warmer months, growing beautiful fruit and vegetables in his backyard, and the greatest joy came from being a grandfather to Ben, Daniel, Jacob, Jordan and Farah whom he loved dearly.

Truyen had a story: a very tough beginning, a humble middle, joyful later life, and a tough fight to the very end. He will be fondly remembered and truly missed.

The family requests that all flowers and notes be sent to Pine Hills Funeral & Cemetary. There will be a funeral service on May 5, at 8:45am.