Hong Eng Ear's Obituary
Beloved mother, grandmother and aunt to many, our mom, Hong Ear, was born in Battambang, Cambodia on April 20, 1935 to a family of three brothers and one sister. Mom was married to our late father, Kim Veng Yav, for 43 years and raised 8 children together.During their life in Cambodia, our mom and dad endured hardships in the Pol Pot regime and did everything they could to keep us alive and together. It was a difficult time, but they made every effort to bring us to the United States in 1981, so that we could all have a better life together. Our dad passed away in 1997, and ever since then, Mom has been a central figure in our family. Our mom is fondly remembered as a caring and gentle woman, a loving mother, grandmother, and a homemaker who enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren, traveling to different places, and was always up for an adventure, even though at times, she would complain afterwards about how much walking was involved.At home, our mom loved spending time gardening in the backyard, sewing clothes for her children and grandchildren, cooking fried noodles, helping to take care of the house, watching Chinese shows, Cambodian karaoke videos and talking to friends and family on the phone. She enjoyed listening to her favorite singers Theresa Teng and Fei-Yi Ching.Going to casinos and taking pictures were some of our mom’s favorite things to do. Blackjack was her favorite game and sometimes she would try her luck on the slot machines. Our mom can always be seen smiling gracefully in her pictures, happy to be with her family and happy to be enjoying life. Asian food was our mom’s favorite. She enjoyed eating everything from noodle soup to Asian desserts. Some of her favorites included Cambodian food, especially som-lah kak-go (Cambodian fish vegetable soup), bun chao (yellow crepe), nom pra-jok (fish noodle soup), and jup-chai (vegetable stew). She also had a sweet tooth for desserts. Some of her favorites included bai ta nap da-rien (sticky rice with durian), jek ka-tih (banana tapioca), nom som (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf) and green waffles. Our mom never stopped being mom and was always there for us, watching out for us, and taking care of us. Whenever we felt any sickness, she was always prepared with Tigerbalm to rub on us and Salonpas to stick on us. We will always remember her reminding us to dress warmly, eat well, and to take care of ourselves.Our mom passed away on Friday December 12, 2014 in San Jose, California.Mom is survived by us, her sons Kent Yav, Sun Yav, Alan Yav, Chad Yav, and Peng Yav, and her daughters Katherine Yav, Linda Yav, Amy Yav, and her 13 grandchildren.Mom, we all miss you very much.
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