Y Pham Mortine

Y was born in Thu Giờ Một in the province of Bình Dương, Vietnam on May 26, 1947 to Nhu (nee Nguyen) and Minh Pham. She is the beloved wife of Mark Mortine; devoted mother of Long (Trang) Tran, Linh Tran, Loc (Amber) Tran, Son (Patricia) Tran, Julie (Mark Reed) Mortine-Reed and Nathalie (Tony Vanjohnson) Mortine; cherished grandmother of Ayo, Mark, Max, Simone, Sophie, Jaeda, Elena, Kai, Penny, Elijah, Ava and Maiya; and dear sister of Duc (Ngoi) Pham, Toai Goins, Nguyet Pham, Chau (Mai) Pham, Mai (John) Ehsan and Huong (Phuong) Tran. 

Y came to this country with her family, fleeing war in Vietnam. She arrived with nothing but the clothes on her back and an unwavering determination to build a better life for her children. Soon after her arrival to Oxford, she met the love of her life, Mark Mortine. He was, as she always said, the sweet to her sour.  

Y worked tirelessly to ensure her children had every opportunity, making education a top priority. While working in a factory in Cincinnati, she fought for better working conditions for herself and her fellow workers. Later, she built a successful daycare business, helping to raise many children in the community. During these years, she extended her kindness to struggling single mothers, often going unpaid because, as she would say, she remembered how hard it was just to survive.

On the outside, she seemed tough, but beneath that strength was a loving, fierce, and forgiving heart—not to mention the best cook around. She will be missed down to the core of our beings, but her spirit and her stories will live on in her husband, children, grandchildren, the rest of her family and all who had the privilege of sitting down for a chat with her.

A visitation for Y will be held at Paul R. Young Funeral Home in Oxford from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. with the funeral service to happen directly after from 11a.m to 12 p.m on Saturday, February 8. 
Donations in Y's name may be made to Refugee Connect, a Cincinnati organization. 

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