The Nguyen Tran Bui

To The Nguyen Tran Bui, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For The Nguyen, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. The Nguyen really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

His parents were Bui Van Ho and Chau Tran. The Nguyen was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam, and raised in Oregon and California. Even as a child, The Nguyen had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, The Nguyen was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, The Nguyen managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. The Nguyen was raised with two siblings. He had one younger brother, Quoc, and one younger sister, Jenny.

All of The Nguyen's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, The Nguyen experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He took part in fishing and track. In his spare time he liked photography and music.

Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that The Nguyen was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, The Nguyen simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for The Nguyen, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Since experience was The Nguyen's best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” The Nguyen graduated from Independence High School in 1991. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was Art.

The Nguyen reveled in his college years, where his imagination could run free. He was viewed by many of his classmates as being a creative, artistic person. The Nguyen was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. He was a jovial person who loved to share his passion for fun with others. But for The Nguyen, life was not a case of all play and no work. The Nguyen relished the task of putting his imagination to work in class. He was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. He earned his B.S. degree in Business Administration and Information Systems.

The Nguyen never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed The Nguyen to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. The Nguyen delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, The Nguyen was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. The Nguyen utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Huu, Nghia, Tom and Loi. Later in life, he became friends with Joyce, Dave, Calvin, Alanna, Mary, Minh, Linda, Hieu, Todd, Ly, Johnny, Thao, Manny, Leo, Thanh, Alice, Paul, Thien, Tho, Huy, Timmy, Dat, John, Rutherford, Troy, and Vu. The Nguyen loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made The Nguyen very easy to approach. On April 17, 2008, The Nguyen exchanged wedding vows with Nga Hong Le in Vietnam. He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason The Nguyen related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own son. The Nguyen was blessed with one son, Ethan Bui. The Nguyen had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. The Nguyen's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining his son with fun and creative play. In fact, The Nguyen had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, The Nguyen was a real “people person. ” he had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. The Nguyen liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, The Nguyen was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. The Nguyen's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see The Nguyen as an excellent problem solver. His primary occupation was as a Business Systems Analyst. He was employed for 10 years.

The Nguyen enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, The Nguyen liked creating and making things. His favorite pursuits were photography and music. The Nguyen was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

The Nguyen felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, The Nguyen loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. The Nguyen relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, The Nguyen never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, The Nguyen participated in track and field. The Nguyen was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were basketball.

Naturally outgoing and generous, The Nguyen was regularly doing things for others. For him, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, The Nguyen was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included the Franklin Templeton "Bennie Award", the 5-Year Award, and being named Employee of the Month.

Living life in the fast lane suited The Nguyen just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Vietnam and camping at Yosemite.

The Nguyen passed away on June 25, 2010 at Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California due to a cardiac arrest. He is survived by his mother Chau Tran; his wife Nga Le; his son Ethan Bui; his sister Jenny Tran; and his grandmother Vinh Tran. Services were held at Oak Hill Funeral Home in the Lily and Lotus rooms. The Nguyen was laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.

The Nguyen brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. The Nguyen Tran Bui lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.