OBITUARY
Anh-Dung Nguyen
DECEMBER 7, 1946 – FEBRUARY 1, 2021
Anh
Dung Joseph "Zoom" Nguyen, a loving father and grandfather, dutiful
husband, and kind brother, passed away on February 1, 2021. He was a man
of simple tastes, but he was known by many names.
Among the Vietnamese
community, where he served as a Sunday School principal and teacher for
over thirty years, he was known as Thay Dung. When serving the Eucharist
to patients at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, he was called Joseph.
Many of his neighbors and former coworkers knew him as Zoom. But to all,
he was best known as faithful friend.
Zoom was born on December 7,
1946, to humble beginnings in the Ninh Binh province of northern
Vietnam. At the age of eight, his parents, Bai Huu Nguyen and Hong Thi
Pham, fled with their children to Saigon.
He graduated cum laude (1/260)
from the Vietnamese National Military Academy in Class 25, attending
from 1968-1972, and accepted his position as Ensign with the Republic of
Viet Armed Forces upon graduation.
Zoom was married to his wife, Thanh
Hai Thi Nguyen, on January 12, 1974. Desiring a better life for his
family, Zoom accepted a full scholarship in Mechanical Engineering from
the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He set sail to America,
planning to be reunited with his wife and daughter upon graduation.
While in Ann Arbor, Zoom became friends with Andy Finlayson and was
introduced to Andy's family. Of this friendship, Zoom would later
remark, ""So many blessings I received in my life through talking with
strangers." Andy helped Zoom navigate learning how to live in America,
and Andy's parents, Larry and Sally, sponsored Zoom's American
citizenship. The Finlayson family had quickly adopted Zoom as one of
their own. When Zoom's wife Thanh and daughter Vu were forced to flee in
a fishing boat after the fall of Saigon, Andy co-signed with Zoom to
sponsor their transfer to America from a refugee camp in the
Philippines. Thanks to this assistance, Zoom was reunited with his
family in America in June 1975. His friendship with the Finlayson family
continued. He loved his home country, and also his adopted country.
Upon graduation from the University of Michigan, Zoom first accepted
employment in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later relocated to the
warmer climate of Baton Rouge. He was employed at River Bend Nuclear
Plant, retiring from his position as a Senior Mechanical Engineer for
Entergy in 2007.
Concurrently, he pursued a M.S. in Theology and
Religious Education from Loyola University. Zoom loved to read and to
learn, and he embraced the idea of working hard to achieve your dreams.
He encouraged his children in their endeavors by sharing his own
experiences, "All things in life, I had to work hard for them."
Zoom was
a devout Christian, having joined the Legion of Mary over 60 years ago
after encountering a group of Legionnaires in Saigon who were seriously
praying. He was an active member of both St. Anthony of Padua Catholic
Church and St Thomas More Catholic Church, and a steadfast participant
in STM's 6 am mass. Zoom's dedication in his service to God was evident
to all, especially in his efforts as President of the Legion of Mary
Baton Rouge Curia, delivering the Eucharist to patients at Our Lady of
the Lake hospital, serving as director of religious education at St.
Anthony of Padua and Le Van Phung Parish, and volunteering with the St.
Thomas More Angola prison ministry for more than twenty years. He was a
kind, personable, amicable, and talkative man, with a booming voice...
always quick to strike up a conversation with people of all backgrounds,
young and old, to make a new friend. He was known to generations of CCD
students as "Uncle Zoom" and known to many inmates as a friend and
advisor. Zoom was unfailingly true to his word, willing to help any
person in need. To know him was to love him.
Zoom was preceded in death
by his parents and by brothers Hung Anh Nguyen and Cuong Anh Nguyen. He
is survived by a large and loving family, including his wife Thanh Hai
Thi Nguyen; daughter Vu Nguyen Harrell and son-in-law Allen Harrell; son
Andrew Minh Nguyen and daughter-in-law Tran Thai Truong; daughter Marie
Thuy Linh Nguyen and son-in-law Duc Nguyen; son Anthony Tu Nguyen;
daughter Margaret Nguyen Moreaux and son-in-law Louis Moreaux; son John
Vincent Liem Nguyen; son Paul Thomas Thien Nguyen; and grandchildren
Lucas, Anna and William Nguyen. Zoom is also survived by brother Tai Anh
Bai and sister-in-law Phuong Kim Bai; brother Tuan Anh Nguyen and
sister-in-law Ngoc Dung Thi Nguyen; sister Thu Ha Thi Nguyen and
brother-in-law Luong Duong; nieces Kathleen Bai, Kelcy Bai and Thuy Anh
Duong; nephew Kyle Bai; and a wide extended family.
Zoom was not fearful
as death approached, but instead embraced the will of God. This family
now finds comfort and joy in the truth spoken in Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)
– Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard
your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
A funeral service will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church on Saturday, February 6, at 10 am, followed by interment at Greenoaks Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the charity of your choice in Anh Dung Joseph Nguyen's name.
Margaret Nguyen