Tiec Van Le

Tiec Van Le, 82, of West Hartford, CT, passed away on March 11, 2026. He was an avid gardener, bibliophile, and devout Buddhist. He had a deep appreciation of the natural world and an abiding sense of compassion towards others. He enjoyed learning about Buddhism and history, savoring new foods, traveling, and helping others in his community.

He was born on May 13, 1943, in a rural community outside of Saigon, Vietnam. He loved playing soccer as a child. In a story he told his children with amusement, he once kicked a soccer ball and broke the window of his elementary school principal's office, causing him to sprint home in fear. His father instilled a love of learning in him, and he was studious. He graduated from the prestigious government college, National Institute of Administration in Saigon. He met the love of his life, Lieu, in their shared hometown. Their grandparents were neighbors, and he was good friends with her brothers. They married in 1973.

After 5 years as a public servant in South Vietnam, he received a scholarship to pursue his education in Public Administration Management at the University of Connecticut. Fearing for his wife and family, he returned to Vietnam to continue his public service work during the war until the end of April 1975. After the fall of Saigon, he survived a harrowing 3-year imprisonment as a political prisoner in a communist "re-education" camp. In 1978, He fled Vietnam with his wife, newborn daughter, and relatives in a daring sea escape and became part of the wave of Vietnamese refugees known as "boat people."

He and his family fought for their survival and ultimately found their way to Glastonbury, CT, through the extraordinary kindness and help of their sponsors, Della and Roger Winans, and other members of the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury. The Winans, Bentons, Burrs, Hills, and many others became lifelong friends. Tiec and his family eventually settled in West Hartford, CT, where they were one of the first Vietnamese residents.

Once established, they worked to help other Vietnamese immigrants. As an elder in the community, he was Master of Ceremonies at countless engagements, weddings, and life events, guiding families in carrying out and honoring Vietnamese traditions. He worked hard and spent his American career in insurance and management information systems. In his well-deserved retirement, he loved spending time with his grandchildren and family, conversing and having philosophical discussions with his brother, finding peace in nature, walking around the neighborhood and Wolcott Park, and sending poetic, prose-length texts to his children.

He will be fondly remembered for his courage, vibrance, verbal prowess, gift for connecting with others, humor, and immense heart. He is deeply missed.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Lieu Le, and his three daughters, Karen Le and husband Keith Fortmiller, Kathleen Le and husband Daniel Roberts, and Kristin Le and husband Ray Macari; grandchildren, Owen Roberts, Lucia and Maximus Macari, and Harrison Fortmiller; sister, Nuong Le; sister-in-law, Loan Nguyen; many nieces and nephews, including Tri, Quyen, Thuc, Tuan, and Thuy Le, Dat Nguyen and wife Huong and their daughters, Jessica and Julia. He was predeceased by his brother and best friend, Trang Le.

Following Vietnamese tradition, the funeral will precede the visiting hour. Funeral services will be held at the Carmon Funeral Home at 807 Bloomfield Ave in Windsor, CT, 06096 on Thursday, March 19, 11am-12:30pm followed by visiting hours, 12:30pm-2pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hai An Pagoda, 255 Cherry St., New Britain, CT 06051.