Obituary for John Nguyen
John Nguyen (Nguyen Duy Khuyen) was born on December 10, 1932, in Ha Noi, Vietnam, where he grew up as the eldest son with his parents, four brothers and four sisters. John served in the South Vietnamese Army and was honorably discharged after an injury. He became a College Professor at Da Lat University where he taught his student mathematics and philosophy. He ultimately became the Chief of Administration/Dean at the University and frequently presented at the commencement exercises.
John was married to Linda Cung in 1959. He eventually moved to Da Lat where they raised six of their children and then moved to Saigon in 1971 where they had their seventh child.
On April 30, 1975, as the communist pushed further south into Saigon, John took his seven children and wife, one by one, on his Vespa motor scooter, to the Bach Dang seaport to board one of the final merchant ships, fleeing his country so that his family could live somewhere without the oppression of communism. After running out of fuel in international waters John and his family were rescued at sea by the US Navy. However, since they took women and children first, John was separated from his family for more than a month and ultimately was reunited in a refugee camp on Guam Island. From Guam they were transferred to Wake Island and then to Arkansas. Through the graciousness of the HIAS organization, John and his family were relocated to NYC in November of 1975.
While in NYC John went back to school at the Technical Career Institute where he studied Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Design and Repair and Electronics. He ultimately landed a position at the Bendix Corporation in Eatontown, NJ in 1978 where he worked as a lead-man inspector/foreman for government contracts related to aviation equipment until his retirement in 1997. Once securing a position at Bendix, John moved his family to Ocean Grove, NJ and then ultimately in 1980 he bought his first home in Asbury Park, NJ, where he lived until his passing on May 7, 2023. John was 90 years old.
In 1995, Linda, his beloved wife suffered from a stroke and John not only continued his work at Allied Signal but became the chief cook as well as primary caretaker for Linda. After retiring from Allied Signal, John spent precious moments with his wife, Linda, and his children and grandchildren. It was during his retirement that he enjoyed learning and honing his computer skills. He would visit his grandchildren every weekend and would never miss anyone’s birthday.
John was kind, compassionate and loving. He loved his family more than anything else. He was very well read and would stay up to date on current events. He was very handy and frequently worked on his cars with his sons. He became passionate about cooking and would happily make anything his family desired. He loved watching cooking shows and ensured that some of his favorite recipes were passed on. Every year he would host the Vietnamese New Year Celebration where the entire family would gather and celebrate together.
John is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Linda and his seven children and their spouses, Ken & Elaine Nguyen, Guy & Bao Kim Nguyen, Mia & Philip Whitman, Quin Nguyen & Dana Muchmore, Kim Ha Nguyen, Kham Nguyen & Terry Park and Kim Ngoc Nguyen & Tony Ning, Ning, as his twelve grandchildren Brandon Nguyen, Charlene Nguyen, Charlie Whitman, Jake Whitman, Alex Whitman, Mya Nguyen, Khai Nguyen, Rachel Sturm, Christopher Nguyen, Jonah Nguyen, Ethan Ning and Kyle Ning, He is also survived by his two sisters, Phuc Nguyen and Diep Cung and a brother Khoi Nguyen.
There will be a visitation and a service on Friday, May 12, 2023, beginning at 10am and ending at 1pm at Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ.
The family is requesting that contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in John’s memory online at http://act.alz.org/goto/InMemoryofJohnNguyen
John was married to Linda Cung in 1959. He eventually moved to Da Lat where they raised six of their children and then moved to Saigon in 1971 where they had their seventh child.
On April 30, 1975, as the communist pushed further south into Saigon, John took his seven children and wife, one by one, on his Vespa motor scooter, to the Bach Dang seaport to board one of the final merchant ships, fleeing his country so that his family could live somewhere without the oppression of communism. After running out of fuel in international waters John and his family were rescued at sea by the US Navy. However, since they took women and children first, John was separated from his family for more than a month and ultimately was reunited in a refugee camp on Guam Island. From Guam they were transferred to Wake Island and then to Arkansas. Through the graciousness of the HIAS organization, John and his family were relocated to NYC in November of 1975.
While in NYC John went back to school at the Technical Career Institute where he studied Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Design and Repair and Electronics. He ultimately landed a position at the Bendix Corporation in Eatontown, NJ in 1978 where he worked as a lead-man inspector/foreman for government contracts related to aviation equipment until his retirement in 1997. Once securing a position at Bendix, John moved his family to Ocean Grove, NJ and then ultimately in 1980 he bought his first home in Asbury Park, NJ, where he lived until his passing on May 7, 2023. John was 90 years old.
In 1995, Linda, his beloved wife suffered from a stroke and John not only continued his work at Allied Signal but became the chief cook as well as primary caretaker for Linda. After retiring from Allied Signal, John spent precious moments with his wife, Linda, and his children and grandchildren. It was during his retirement that he enjoyed learning and honing his computer skills. He would visit his grandchildren every weekend and would never miss anyone’s birthday.
John was kind, compassionate and loving. He loved his family more than anything else. He was very well read and would stay up to date on current events. He was very handy and frequently worked on his cars with his sons. He became passionate about cooking and would happily make anything his family desired. He loved watching cooking shows and ensured that some of his favorite recipes were passed on. Every year he would host the Vietnamese New Year Celebration where the entire family would gather and celebrate together.
John is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Linda and his seven children and their spouses, Ken & Elaine Nguyen, Guy & Bao Kim Nguyen, Mia & Philip Whitman, Quin Nguyen & Dana Muchmore, Kim Ha Nguyen, Kham Nguyen & Terry Park and Kim Ngoc Nguyen & Tony Ning, Ning, as his twelve grandchildren Brandon Nguyen, Charlene Nguyen, Charlie Whitman, Jake Whitman, Alex Whitman, Mya Nguyen, Khai Nguyen, Rachel Sturm, Christopher Nguyen, Jonah Nguyen, Ethan Ning and Kyle Ning, He is also survived by his two sisters, Phuc Nguyen and Diep Cung and a brother Khoi Nguyen.
There will be a visitation and a service on Friday, May 12, 2023, beginning at 10am and ending at 1pm at Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, NJ.
The family is requesting that contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in John’s memory online at http://act.alz.org/goto/InMemoryofJohnNguyen