ALBANY – Chin Van Tran, of Albany, died January 15, 2005. He was born on July 2, 1940 in the Town of An-lac, on the outskirts of SaiGon. He was Town Chief from 1960 to April 30, 1975 when the Communists took over South Vietnam. He was later sent to a Re-Education Camp for three years. Shortly after his release from the Re-Education Camp, he joined a Resistance Group trying to overthrow the communist regime. As the group's activities were later discovered by the communist's, he went into hiding for about one year, after whence he escaped Vietnam by boat and came to Malaysia as a refugee seeking political asylum. He was subsequently sponsored by the First Reformed Church of Bethlehem and resettled in Selkirk, NY in 1980. His two eldest sons joined him in 1982. Later, his wife and two younger sons and two daughters reunited with him in 1990. With others, Chin founded the Vietnamese Community of the Capital District of Albany in 1992 and became the president until he passed away on January 15, 2005. He is survived by his wife, six children, nine grandchildren and one niece.
Calling hours will be Wednesday from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. at New Comer-Cannon Family Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Rd., Colonie (Rt. 155-south of Central Ave). Funeral services will be Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Memory's Garden, Colonie.