John Baptist Thang Nguyen

On the morning of May 31st, 2017, John Baptist Thang Nguyen would not break another morning fast. He had commenced with the next chapter of his eternal life and had joined Our Father. He had completed 93 years of living, leading, teaching, helping, loving and praying. John Baptist Thang Nguyen was the proud patriarch of the Nguyen family. The father of eleven, he is survived by his three daughters, Song-Gianh, Song-Nhi and Song-Huong and six sons, Lam-Son, Phung-Son, Linh-Son, Vinh-Son, That-Son and Truong-Son. A fond grandfather, he kept scrapbooks of the accomplishments of his twenty two grandchildren and the resultant growing brood of great-grandchildren. Born in Quang Binh, Vietnam, nearly a century ago, he lived and thrived through the adversities and obstacles thrown his way during the course of his life. On July 26th, 1950, John Baptist married his wife Mary Magdalene Bich Thi Ngoc Vo in Nha Trang, Vietnam. Together they would raise eleven children. Their daughters were named for the rivers of Viet Nam and their sons were named after her mountains. He worked as Deputy Province Chief in Vietnam for several provinces, working his way up to Interprovincial Inspector and finally Director of Rural Leaders. When the fall of Saigon came in April of 1975, John Baptist had already lost his wife, Ngoc Bich, and two of his sons, Hoang-Son and Cung-Son. He sought asylum for his family in the refugee camps of Pennsylvania. The Nguyen family were fortunate to be sponsored by the kind families of Wheeling, West Virginia. A widower and single father, John Baptist led by example. Even as he was acclimating to the new culture and new surroundings in a new country, he sought to help others. His first job in the United States was as a Coordinator for Resettlement assisting other Vietnamese refugees in West Virginia, much like himself. He believed strongly in the values of a strong education. Shortly after arriving to this new land, while raising his children, he put himself through school. In 1979 at the age of 55, he graduated from Wheeling College with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration with a major in Accounting. He would later encourage his daughter, Song-Huong to follow in his footsteps. Wanting to be closer to his family, he relocated with his three youngest children to the sunny coast of Southern California where his brother, Sang, also lived. While putting the three youngest through high school and then college, he would hold many positions from Insurance Agent to Tax Specialist and finally as Social Worker for Los Angeles County where he worked from 1983 to his retirement in 2000. Social work was something which always appealed to him. Even when he was in Vietnam, he would organize fund raisers to help with flood relief for the indigenous people of Vietnam. He was a firm believer in lending a helping hand to those less fortunate. John Baptist was deeply religious and loved to pray, a trait which he also passed on to his children. His son, That-Son, went on to become a Catholic priest. His children are active in the church and have raised their children in the faith. John Baptist was an avid reader, he liked to be kept well informed, whether it was through books, radio, TV or later on the internet. He was always working on his autobiography because he wanted future generations to learn from what he had experienced. He was physically active and used to love playing tennis with his favorite partner, his brother Sang. He was also accomplished musically and was proficient with the guitar and the Vietnamese mandolin. He spoke five languages, including English, French and Spanish. Fiercely independent, he lived by himself in a condo in Long Beach, California for about fifteen years. He used to love to walk to the beach and the pier and practice his calisthenics. When mobility became an issue, he would race along on his motorized scooter. Visits were not complete without a stop at his favorite restaurant, Hometown Buffet. From driving lessons with his grandchildren, grocery runs with his children, lunch dates with his in-laws, and later on physical therapy with his great grandchild, he lived his life completely. Whether John Baptist was "ba" or "ong noi" or "ong ngoai" or "ong co" or "grandpa" or "Big John", he will be greatly missed and he left an indelible mark on all those around him. His is a legacy of social welfare, strong work ethics, continuous learning and devotion. We can only hope to follow in his footsteps, and achieve a quarter of his accomplishments and be half so well loved and missed. There will be a rosary and blessing at Charles W. Smith & Sons Funeral Home, 2925 5th St., Sachse, TX 75048 on Thursday, June 8th, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Visitation will be on Friday, June 9th, 2017 from 3:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. The mass celebrating his life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 10th, 2017 at Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, 2121 Apollo Rd., Garland, TX 75044.