Obituary: Y 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 12; and dear sister of six. 

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 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’ll be missed to the core of our beings, but her spirit and stories will live on in her family and all who had the privilege of sitting down to chat with her.

A visitation will be held at Paul R. Young Funeral Home in Oxford 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 8. with funeral service directly after. 

This obituary was originally published on the website of Paul R. Young Funeral Home and has been edited for length.