Vann Heng was born on March 2, 1963 in Battambang province in Cambodia.
After the rise of the Khmer Rouge in 1974, her family fled Cambodia to Khao I Dang refugee camp in Thailand.
In 1984, she and Sokhom Phan got married at Khao I Dang and settled as refugees in Canada.
She lived a very simple life. Her passion was gardening. She found purpose by teaching Khmer traditional dance to the students at the Khmer Buddhist Temple of Ontario. She was devoted to doing good deeds for the Temple and its community. In 1998, she successfully beat breast cancer. In 2021, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer. After an over 2 year long battle, she passed away at home surrounded by her family. She leaves behind her loving children, Veasna Phan, Chally Phan, and Melissa Phan. She will forever be remembered by her soft speech but tireless devotion to others in her family, her temple community and more.