Haltom City Mayor An Truong, the first Vietnamese American to hold a mayoral seat in Tarrant County, has died, the city announced Friday. He was 78.
“Mayor Truong was a dedicated public servant who always put his community first,” City Manager Rex Phelps said. “On behalf of the city council and city staff, we extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”
Truong died from complications related to a lengthy battle with cancer, said Nicholas Ballard, communications and marketing specialist for the city. The announcement said Truong died peacefully Friday morning, surrounded by family and friends.
Truong was elected to the Haltom City Council in 2013 and first elected mayor in 2019 at age 70. His swearing-in ceremony was conducted in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Born and raised in Vietnam, Truong was a first lieutenant in the South Vietnamese Air Force flying as a fighter pilot alongside Americans during the Vietnam War, the Fort Worth Report reported in 2025. He was 26 when he immigrated to the U.S. in 1975 as a refugee.
Truong spent his early years in the U.S. as a grocery store janitor. He eventually settled in Tarrant County and joined the Fort Worth Police Department in 1987, serving as an officer in the narcotics department. He later worked for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator for the Gang and Homicide Prosecution Unit, where he spent 37 years.
A member of the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in east Fort Worth for over two decades, he offered a proclamation recognizing its monks for completing their nationwide Walk for Peace in February.
Haltom City Mayor An Truong speaks at Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center on May 15, 2022. Truong helped build the original temple nearly three decades ago and has been a member since. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare described Truong as “a trailblazer whose service left a lasting mark on our community,” in a social media post Friday afternoon.
“From his arrival in the United States as a young man seeking opportunity, through decades of work in law enforcement and his eventual leadership of Haltom City, Mayor Truong embodied the values of hard work, public service, and quiet determination. My prayers are with his family,” O’Hare said.
Texas Sen. Taylor Rehmet said Truong was “a true public servant who committed himself to progress, integrity, and the hard work of building a better Haltom City each and every day,” in a statement Friday afternoon.
All flags at city facilities will be flown at half-staff in his honor, according to the release.
The city asked the community to keep the Truong family in their thoughts and to respect their privacy during this time. Officials said details on funeral arrangements will be shared when available.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 16 with the cause of An Truong’s death.
Marissa Greene is the faith and fellowships editor at the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.
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