Mai Van Nguyen's Obituary
Mai Van Nguyen, aged 72 passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 29, 2022 in Frisco, Texas.
Mai Van Nguyen was born on December 13th, 1949 in Hue, Vietnam to Lien Thi Nguyen. He graduated from the University of Hue in 1973 (Dai Hoc Hue) with a Major in English. Hue, Mai was an English instructor and also an Interpreter for the US Embassy. He met his soulmate, Hoa Thi Nguyen and married her on May 25th, 1974. Both had motorcycles and enjoyed driving around Hue together until they had to flee Vietnam on April 24th, 1975. Mai gathered as much of his family to leave with him on the last plane from Da Nang to the United States.
Around the beginning of July 1975, Mai and his wife moved to Kingsport, Tennessee after living in refugee camps and stayed with Victor Underwood and his family. Mai began to build his life in Kinsport but also became a major figure trying to advocate for Vietnamese refugees to obtain sponsorships.
Mai eventually left Kinsgsport with wife, mother, and daughter in his pride and and joy, a light blue VW Bug, and moved to Dallas, TX in 1976. Mai worked in construction during the day and went to night school to complete his degree in Computer Science at University of Texas in Dallas in 1978 to become a computer programmer for mainframes. Mai continued to help Vietnamese people, from translating letters for Dallas County to hosting them temporarily in his home until they were able to stand on their own two feet.
Mai built a very successful life for him and his family after losing it all from the Vietnam War. He enjoyed music, singing, taking pictures, traveling the world, and driving around town. He was always the life of the party wherever he went. Because Mai had to rebuild his life a couple of times, he kept meticulous records of every event in his life.
Mai is survived by his brother - Sanh Nguyen, sister- Dung Nguyen, 3 children - Mary, Genie and Tony, and 5 grandchildren - Colton, Mara, Fiona, Wyatt, and Jacob.
Mai will be remember as a great man who not only sacrificed a lot for his family's well being, but built a successful life in the United States. He is now reunited with his true love and soulmate - Hoa Thi Nguyen, his sister - Lan Thi Nguyen, and mother - Lien Thi Nguyen.
What’s your fondest memory of Mai?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mai?
Share a story where Mai's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mai you’ll never forget.
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