Thoa Lap Nguyen

Mr. Vincent Thoa Lap Nguyen was born on April 6, 1928 in Nam Dinh, Vietnam, to Mr. Vincent

Xuyen Van Nguyen and Mrs. Rose Tu Thi Nguyen’s family of eight children. At the age of 22, he

left his home village for the town of Son Tay and co‐founded a private school, teaching French,

Vietnamese literature and Math.

In 1954, together with two siblings, he and his parents left their home as part of “Operation

Passage to Freedom” (US Navy, 1954) joining hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese

northerners in fleeing to the south. In the chaos during the early years of the Vietnam War, he

reunited with Maria Son Thi Nguyen whom he first met while teaching in Son Tay, North

Vietnam. In 1958, they joined hands in holy matrimony at St. Vincent Catholic Church, Tan Binh

District, Saigon and raised 7 children (five boys and two girls). His love for education and

teaching was well recognized by his peers, affording him multiple teaching positions at a

number of prestigious private high schools (Le Bao Tinh HS, Nguyen Ba Tong HS and Tran Hung

Dao HS). In 1967, he co‐authored the biology textbook (Nguyen Lap Thoa and Le Duy Nghiep,

Van Vat Hoc De Tam, Duong Sang Publishing, 1967) which ultimately became a mandatory

reading in many south Vietnam high schools. To further his belief in the necessity of passing on

one’s knowledge to next generations, Mr. Nguyen and his wife founded the well‐respected Vinh

Son Elementary School in Tan Binh District, Saigon during 1959.

In the early 1970’s, acting on a strong conviction that one’s life needs to be meaningful and

productive to his community, he co‐founded Vindico. A rice distribution network, Vindico Co.

served the southwestern region of Vietnam, focusing on providing services to the poor and

unfortunate. In April 1975, Mr. Nguyen’s life, like millions of his fellow Vietnamese at the time,

took a devastating turn. After his family personal possessions were “confiscated“ by the new

Vietnamese communist government, he lead his family wandering southern Vietnam to avoid

persecution. Trekking as far north as Phan Thiet, and even returning to the crowded street of

Saigon, they made short stays in any safe neighborhood they could find. Not knowing if there

was a tomorrow, Mr. Nguyen and his family’s longest stay was while being held prisoner for

over a grueling year in the Ca Mau “education camp.”

In 1979, after nearly half of a decade of a nomadic life style, his family became one among

millions of Vietnamese “boat people” during the exodus for freedom from Vietnam to its

neighboring countries. The family was separated into two groups that completely lost contact

with one another amongst the hundreds of refugee camps scattered throughout the coasts of

Malaysia and Indonesia. Fortunately, by the Grace of God working through UNICEF and the Red

Cross, the family was united in Grand Rapids, Michigan during the summer of 1980. After a

year living in the harsh weather of the northeastern U.S. state, he moved his family to

Bremerton and Seattle shortly thereafter, seeking a better education opportunity for his

children.

During the last 40 years living in the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Thoa Nguyen was finally able to

enjoy a peaceful life in the company of his beloved wife and children. Ultimately, as time took

its toll, Mr. Nguyen aged and his health deteriorated despite the constant care and devotion of

his wife and children.

On August 29, 2020, Mr. Thoa Lap Nguyen passed peacefully into our Lord’s hands at 11:09pm

in Kirkland, Washington at the age of 92. He is survived by his wife, 7 children and 17

grandchildren.

In loving memory,

Wife, Children and Grandchildren

Seattle, Washington

August 30, 2020