Vinh Q Pham

Vinh Q. Pham, 68, of Silvis, passed away Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, at Illini Hospital following a battle with cancer.

Private family services will be Friday, Nov. 20, at Esterdahl Mortuary, Moline. A public visitation will be held just prior to the service from 10 to 11 a.m. Masks and social distancing will be required. Memorials may be made to Calvary Lutheran Church, Moline, IL.

Vinh Quang Pham was born June 4, 1952, in Ninh Binh, North Vietnam, the son of Hoa Ky and Nhi Thi Pham. He was a soldier in the South Vietnamese Army, fighting alongside the Americans, when Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces in 1975. He and other family members had just hours to pack up and board a United States military vessel for transport to the U.S. As refugees, Vinh, his brother, and his brother’s family were resettled in the Quad-Cities through the sponsorship of Calvary Lutheran Church. There he met his future bride, Cynthia M. Carlson, a church member who volunteered to tutor the refugees. They were married June 6, 1976, at Calvary.

Vinh opened his own shop, Vinh’s Auto Repair, in 1980 in Moline. He moved his business to East Moline in 1994. Vinh was a very giving person, often repairing vehicles at little or no charge for those in need, and helping others in whatever way he could. He enjoyed traveling, cooking, fishing, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Survivors include his wife, Cindy; a daughter, Cassie (Dan) Sumpter, Frisco, TX; a son, Jon, Silvis; grandchildren, Jonny Pham and Bentley, Olivia and Callum Sumpter; a brother, Dan (Hanh) Pham, Hurst, TX; and two siblings who remained in Vietnam.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother and sister-in-law, Quy and La Pham.