Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen

Hong Thoa Nguyen, 81, of Albuquerque, NM passed away peacefully at home on Friday, July 7, 2023, surrounded by loved ones after a valiant battle with lung cancer.

She was born on Tuesday, December 15, 1942 in the village of My Khe, Quang Ngai province, Vietnam to My Nguyen and Tranh Truong. She was known as a midwife who brought joy to hundreds of families. She was a devoted wife who contributed to her husband's survival of eight years in the Communist concentration camp by delivering him food and supplies, traveling regularly by foot through the jungle trails of 20 miles each way.

She was a tireless and resourceful mother who, after the Fall of Saigon, managed to raise six children single-handedly and ensured they were well-educated despite being banished to the wilderness for many years.

After coming to America as a political refugee in 1994, she became a devoted grandmother, helping raise many of her grandchildren. She was the bedrock of the family.

She is survived by her husband Khiem; daughters Diem, Tram, Anh-Trinh; sons Dien, Viinh, Vinh; and their spouses Phuc, Hoang-Nam, Ricky, Katrini, Phuong, Chi; and also by her adopted daughter Huong. She will be missed by five grandsons Vincent, Minh, Liam, Kai, Ton; six granddaughters Quynh-Anh, Trish, Nina, Nghi, Lana, Briana, and also by loving grand dogs Haru and Rover.

Memorial Services will be held on Friday July 14, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at FRENCH- Lomas.

PROGRAM-SERVICES

Friday, July 14, 2023:

•    6:00 pm - 6:45 pm: Mourning Ceremony (Lễ phát tang)

•    6:45 pm - 7:30 pm: Funeral Cermony-Ritual Prayer (Lễ cầu siêu)

•    7:30 pm - 8:15 pm: Eulogy and Tribute (Lễ tuong nho va cam ta cua gia dinh)

•    8:15 pm - 9:00 pm: Visitation (tham vieng)

Saturday, July 15, 2023:

•    9:00 am - 9:45 am: Visitation (Tham vieng)

•    9:45 am - 11:00 am: Procession & Burial Ceremony. (Lễ di quan) Burial will be at Sunset Memorial, 924 Menaul Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107

•    11:00 am - 11:30 am: Procession Ceremony to Quang Minh Temple (Le ruoc di anh ve chua)

•    12:00 PM: Refreshments (Royal Buffet - 6111 San Mateo, NE)

The Eulogy, as per requested by her family:

Thank you all for coming here today to share in the Khiem family’s loss and to honor the memory of their beloved wife and mother. She was a remarkable woman who touched many lives, not only in their family, but in the many new and expanding families in her job as a midwife.

Although Mrs. Khiem fell ill and received a terminal diagnosis, the family were blessed to have her life extended for more than five years. This is thanks to the excellent care she received from her doctors, nurses, and public health workers. One of the many blessing in being able to move and life in America. Mr. Khiem would also like to express his deep gratitude for being able to live in a country with such excellent healthcare, hospitals, and dedicated medical staff.

Mrs. Khiem's life was dedicated to serving her family. While Mr. Khiem was languishing in the re-education camp, she was a devoted mother who single-handedly raised their six children in one of the more rugged areas of Vietnam that they were forcibly relocated to at the end of the war.  Indeed, Mr. Khiem's survival in the labor camps was wholly dependent on the food and other essentials that she brought to him. She did this by trekking through the uninhabited terrain of streams and mountains, with heavy loads on her shoulders.  She delivered these supplies frequently and never complained, knowing that his survival depended on her strength. The day he was released from prison, instead of seeing his beautiful bride, he saw an old, weathered woman weighed down by years of hardship and surrounded by the disheveled, skinny brats known as his children - and it broke his heart to see the sacrifices that she had made for all of them. Although this was deeply personal, he knew that he was not unique, that the survival of so many other officers-turned-prisoners and their families was equally dependent on these strong, dedicated and selfless women.

She loved her family deeply and always put their needs before her own. Her life was the embodiment of the Three Subordinations and Four Virtues, the traditional values ingrained in the women of Vietnamese culture. Many other Asian families benefited greatly from these ancient values.  Thank you to the wives and mothers, for your dedication and sacrifices.  We’re eternally grateful.

She passed away peacefully in the loving arms of her husband, surrounded by her her children and dedicated Hospice nurses.  Many thanks to these nurses for their kindness and compassion.

Mrs. Khiem's life was full of ups and downs, but in the end, she was able to enjoy peaceful days here in the United States.

We will miss her dearly but take comfort in knowing that she is now at peace.