Nhan Nguyen

Our loving and devoted father, Nhan Nguyen, age 64, was called to eternal rest by God on Saturday, June 1st, 2024 at UNM Hospital. After three and a half months of battling illness, he succumbed to severe complications that transitioned him to comfort care. In his last moments, he passed peacefully surrounded by his wife, children, and loved ones.

Nhan was born in Ninh Hoa, Vietnam to his father Duc Nguyen, and his mother Ba Le, and was one of five children. He was arrested and sent to a communist resocialization camp for working with guerrilla rebel forces in opposition to the communist government. After serving four years in a communist resocialization camp, he left communist Vietnam by fishing boat with his two younger siblings and was one of the last few "boat people" to have fled Vietnam. They fortunately reached a refugee camp in the Philippines and stayed for four months.

Fortunately, he and his siblings were able to migrate to the United States as political refugees in search of opportunity and a better future. Nhan met and married the love of his life, Lienminh Vo, and was blessed with one son, two daughters, and an adopted daughter. Nhan and his family moved to Albuquerque when he was accepted into the University of New Mexico where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.

Nhan possessed a vibrant, glowing character, and always instilled a strong sense of drive, fairness, integrity, and charity in all those around him. He was adamant about the need to pursue knowledge and education as a means to better understand the world around us and to achieve success in all aspects of one's life.

Nhan endured countless hardships and heartaches throughout his life. While working for twenty years in the semiconductor industry, he faced the turmoil of economic changes as an engineer, leading him to work double shifts, simultaneous day-and-night shifts, and unemployment due to company cutbacks. These hardships and many more placed great stress upon Nhan and his family, but he was never seen without a smile, never lost his unbreakable positive attitude, never lost his generous nature, and never failed to share his heartfelt, genuine laugh. His biggest heartache during his lifetime was being away from his family. Having to travel overseas for work was the hardest thing for him, but he willingly sacrificed long periods of his life to provide as much as he could for the ones he loved.

As a devoted father and husband, Nhan's love and guidance knew no bounds. He instilled in his family the importance of cherishing their rich Vietnamese culture and family values. His stalwart leadership within his family served as a strong pillar of support for those who loved him and he nurtured familial bonds that will transcend generations.

Nhan, the son of a teacher, placed education in the highest regard. His pursuit of education was relentless, and despite being a refugee in an unfamiliar country, speaking very little English, and with a young family to support, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He was passionate about teaching not only his children, but all children, and he dedicated significant time and effort to nurturing and guiding his children, nieces, nephews, as well as their friends to pursue higher education. Nhan found solace and took pride in the fact that so many of those that he mentored have achieved his dream as a young man to become a doctor.

As a natural leader and the patriarch of his family, he inspired those around him with his strong work ethic and exemplary character. He led by example, earning the respect and admiration of everyone who knew him. Nhan's compassionate spirit extended beyond familial relationships in his philanthropic work in his community and Vietnam. He constantly reminded his children that they were blessed and they should pass their blessings to those around them through volunteering and mentoring.

He will be remembered for being a dedicated father who sacrificed so much to raise his family, his strong presence as the pillar of support within the family, and his compassion and generosity in service to others. We will forever be grateful to have been blessed with him in our lives. His memory will live on in our hearts and the hearts of those who knew him.

Nhan is preceded by his parents, Duc Nguyen and Ba Le; and his two older brothers, Quy and Nghia. He is survived by his wife, Lienminh; his children, Tony, Alicia, Julie, and Nancy; and his younger sister and brother, My-Duyen and Dung.