Our beloved sister, aunt, and matriarch, Hai Thi Collard, passed away in Chandler, Arizona on Friday, April 24th. She joins her husband Chauncey, brother Loi, and sister Phuong in the spiritual world. She and Chauncey, a military veteran, were married for 31 years until his passing in 2012.
She is survived by 9 sisters and 3 brothers. Although she did not have any biological children of her own, she was a steadfast maternal figure to her younger siblings and many nieces and nephews.
Hai Collard immigrated from Vietnam to the United States in 1975. She called Arizona home, but also lived in Hawaii and Thailand.
She was an entrepreneur who owned and operated Teazers Hair Salon, along with her two sisters in Mesa, Arizona. Even after her retirement in 2018, she was still in contact with her clients, maintaining strong and friendly relationships with them. In the last few years, she was living with her younger sister and brother-in- law, Hoppy and Viet. In August 2025, Hoppy and Hai took a trip to Hawaii to visit their sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Warren.
At 4 feet and 9 inches tall, her generosity, strength, and devotion to her family were her superpowers. It is because of her that the Nguyen Family has prospered in the United States. Our guiding light will be forever missed.
Her favorite life motto was “Be happy, be healthy, you’re always in my heart.”
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made instead to The Salvation Army of Phoenix, as Hai made monthly donations to this organization. Hai Collard was cremated on Friday, May 8th. A private celebration of life is pending early fall of 2026
Celebrating 75 years of serving our community