In the early morning of September 12th at 7:15am, Thi Ho went out for a ride through the Settler’s Valley Trail as he's done almost every day for over 20 years, but this day was different than the others. He was struck by an inattentive driver fumbling with their phone at the 10th street crosswalk. He was ejected 40ft from the impact site.

He spent the next 5 days fighting for his life in the ICU, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries on September 17th. His funeral was on September 21st. After which, his body was transported to Vietnam, accompanied by my aunts and uncles. His burial is planned for Oct. 1st. He will be laid to rest next to his late wife who passed away in 1991, six months before they were planned to move to the US together.

He was honored by the Pflugerville Cycling Community with a Ghost Bike Ceremony at the crosswalk bridge. So many people came to pay their respects to him. They told us how much he impacted their daily lives each time they saw him on the trail. That his persistence and consistency was such an inspiration at such a late age. Thank you all for your kind words. I had no idea he touched so many in our community. We cannot express enough our gratitude to the community and those that organized the ghost bike ceremony for him.

He loved this trail and traversed it daily. He LIVED and DIED on this trail.

We are petitioning to rename the “Settlers Valley Trail” to the “Thi Ho Memorial Trail”. The more signatures we can get signed, the more compelling reason the Pflugerville City Council has to vote for a name change.

WHO HE WAS:

Thi Ho is my grandfather. He has had a hard life. He was born in 1937. He grew up through the First, Second (Vietnam War), and Third Indochina Wars. He grew up in a Vietnam under a constant state of war from 1946-1989. Life was never easy. He was a school teacher for over 30 years before the communist state took over after the Vietnam War and forced him out of his teaching career. He became a farmer to provide for his family. He worked hard and never complain because that is what was demanded of him. When he had free time, he continued to teach his kids what he knew so that one day, they’d have a better life than he. In 1991, he was sponsored by my uncle to move to Pflugerville. My uncle had managed his way to the United States via boat after the war. One by one, we all followed, including myself. We have been in Pflugerville for almost 30 years now.

When in America, he took on the role of raising his grandkids, myself and my cousins while our parents worked/studied hard to do for us what he did for them. In America, he finally had time to do the things he enjoyed. He loved reading poetry. He loved being outdoors and exercising. He walked daily on the Settlers Valley Trail. When the doctor said he couldn’t walk so much anymore due to a deteriorating knee, he rode his bike on the trail daily. He did this for over 20 years and became a Pflugerville icon in the process.

Just like many of you, I saw him riding his bike frequently during my commutes. He enjoyed gardening and would ride his bike over to our house with bags full of fresh grown veggies. He was an advocate of exercise as a secret to good health. He had just beaten stage 3 lung cancer two years ago, a testament to his health at 87 years old. He was just happy to resume his lifestyle.

My grandfather delayed his enjoyment til his final years to ensure that his family is happy and successful. I’m here to tell all of you that he has succeeded. We are business owners, doctors, engineers, architects, teachers and police officers in our community. Our family is closer than ever and have been thriving in Pflugerville for over 40 years.

He will be greatly missed.