Do Van Nguyen

Hôm nay ngày 29 tháng 8 năm 2016, Chồng, Bô, Ông của chúng tôi là ông NGUYỄN VẤN ĐO, sanh năm 1931 tại Hung Yen, Việt Nam đã thất lộc tại Houston, Hoa Kỳ lúc 2:05 giờ sáng ngày 28 tháng 8 năm 2016 hưởng thọ 84 tuổi. Chúng tôi xin thay mặt gia đình ông NGUYỄN VAN DO trân trọng biết ơn: Quý thân bằng quyến thuộc gần xa đã gửi vòng hoa, đăng báo, gọi điện, gửi email chia buồn, đã đến thăm viếng và dự tang lễ Chồng, Bo, Ông của chúng tôi là ông NGUYỄN VAN DO. Chúng tôi cũng xin bày tỏ lòng tri ơn sâu sắc đến các ban be, anh chi em xa gan đã den chia sẻ nỗi đau và tận tình giúp đỡ chúng tôi trong suốt tang lễ này.

Kính thưa quý vị, trong lúc tang gia vô cùng bối rối, chắc chắn có nhiều điều thiếu sót, xin quý vị niệm tình tha thứ.

Tang gia đồng bái tạ.

After a full and exemplary life, Do Van Nguyen passed peacefully on August 29, 2016 at the age of 84. He was born on September 29, 1931 in Hung Yen, Vietnam to Mr. Nguyen Van Uyen and Mrs. Hoang Thi Thi, in the Northern Province well known for its flourishing longan trees.

Starting from modest beginnings, he always worked hard and pushed to his limits. In his early years, Do Van was the youngest of seven siblings and the first in his family to acquire a proper education. During that time he excelled in his hometown and was propelled to the top of his class at Chu Van An high school in Hanoi – he later joined the South Vietnamese Air Force, where he was hand-picked to study abroad in Auxerre, France from 1953 – 1954 while majoring in Radio Communication Technology.

Upon his return to Vietnam, he was assigned to serve in Hue and Da Nang. There, he met and married his wife Kim Trang Thi Tran in Da Nang on October 26, 1958. The newlywed couple moved and settled in Saigon to start their family as he began his enrollment at Phu Tho National Center of Technology to continue and complete his first Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1962.

Continuing his commitment, he served the South Vietnamese Air Force in building its infrastructure and held his last rank as the Lieutenant Colonel in Division1. In April 1975, during the chaos and final days of the Vietnam War, he was separated from his wife and five children, losing complete contact with his family. Alone, he was evacuated to the United States - where he was sponsored and supported by St. Martin Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas.

While in Austin, he persevered all hardships with focused determination- he worked full time while living in a small monastery and enrolled at the School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. After a few years in the U.S., he was finally able to communicate with his family back in Vietnam. Do Van promptly provided monthly support by shipping care packages to his wife and children, while completing his second degree – Masters of Environmental Engineering in 1979. Then, upon graduation, he worked for the City of Austin as an Environmental Engineer.

He was reunited with his first son, Quang, in 1979, and his second son, Thanh, in 1981. Finally, his 10 years of sacrifices and hard work arrived on October 20, 1985 – the day he was reunited with his wife and the rest of his children. After years of separation, his family became whole again. With time and patience, he helped his reunited family adjust to the new life in America. With their new found freedom, he taught his family the new culture and language. The family continued to live in Austin for two more years before moving to Houston in 1987.

In Houston, he continued his work on environmental projects with Brown & Root and a number of engineering firms until his retirement in 1995. He always had a deep passion for learning, gardening and volunteering. Upon his retirement, he self-taught himself a new language, increased his devotion to the American Red Cross and charities for doctors that provided free eye surgeries throughout Vietnam. He worked tirelessly to cultivate a thriving garden of organic fruits and vegetables. To this day, family and friends cherish each orange, tangerine, or grapefruit picked from his orchard.

Mr. Do Van Nguyen will always be remembered as a devoted husband, admirable father and a loving grandfather. He has always been known by his friends as a man of high integrity, exceptional endeavors, forthright candor, and his unwavering desire to help others. His kindness, strength and determination have touched many lives and he will always be remembered for his generosity, work ethic, relentless curiosity and thirst for knowledge.

He is survived by his wife, Kim Trang Thi Tran. Eldest son Quang Tran Nguyen and his wife Ngoc Hoa Nguyen and daughter Anna Hoa Anh Tran Nguyen. Second son Thanh Tran Nguyen and his wife Halina Krystyna Nguyen with son Khoa Do Nguyen and daughters Olivia Kasia Nguyen and Natalie Nhu Quynh Nguyen. Third son Thuc Tran Nguyen and his wife Trang Minh Nguyen and sons Don Truong Thi Nguyen and Theodore Nguyen. Daughter Thao Thi Phuong Nguyen and her husband Chanh Trung Trinh and their son Michael Nguyen Trinh and daughter Taylor Nguyen Trinh. Fourth son Tue Tran Nguyen and his son Ethan Minh Tri Nguyen.