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In memory of
Hung Huu Nguyen
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Hung's obituary
Hung was born on April 16, 1940 in Hai Phong, Vietnam. He was the youngest of six biological children. He lost his father at a young age of 12. His family moved to Saigon in 1954 alongside the many Vietnamese people who did not want to be under Communist rule. That same year, his mother passed when Hung was a mere 14 years. After the loss of his mother, Hung was raised by an older sister, Nga. During the Vietnam War, Hung fought and a military officer with the South Vietnamese Regime along American allies. After the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 when he was sent to re-education camp for three years. After his release, he met Ba and they wed after two weeks of meeting on January 22, 1979. Both Hung and Ba tried to escape the Communist rule of Vietnam by boat and were separated since Hung was captured. After thirteen attempts, Hung made it to Pulau Bidong, Malaysia in 1982. During his time in Malaysia, he found Christ and converted to Catholicism on December 23, 1982. He then immigrated to the United States on January 12, 1983 and settled in Orange County, California where his raised his only daughter with his wife.
Hung worked various jobs while raising his family. But his greatest passions in life are God, his family, his church, his friends, and the arts. Hung was an accomplished artist, musician, and poet. He would paint murals for his Charismatic prayer group every Christmas for years. And, he would write poetry and compose music every time he could. He even dedicated a special song to his wife entitled, “Que Em Bac Lieu”, which means, “Your Hometown, Bac Lieu”. Although he wrote a lot of secular poems and songs, he drew his greatest inspiration from the Word. He would draw passages of the Bible and compose praise and worship music where it was sung at church.
Hung didn’t need much to find joy in his life. As long as he had his faith, his family, and his guitar, he was happy. Hung had a lot of health issues. He was diabetic for nearly 40 years and was diagnosed with glaucoma around the age of 60. When he started to lose his eyesight, Hung could no longer draw or paint, but he still had his guitar. Hung was a hopeless romantic. As his eyes were failing him and he no longer could drive safely, every special occasion – anniversary, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or birthday, he would go out to their rose garden and pick the most beautiful rose he could find. He would then prune it just perfectly and place it by his wife’s bedside in the same vase each time.
No matter what health issues Hung had, he didn’t complain. He kept finding joy. When diabetes cause atrophy of the nerves in his hands, he no longer could play music, he resorted to his faith in God and listened to the Bible to get himself through. His joy and his laughter were contagious. He loved to talk and tell stories of times past and of his family.
Ultimately, Hung was diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital on May 8, 2020 where his wife was also diagnosed and admitted earlier that day. He passed away on May 14, 2020. Due to COVID restrictions, and his wife was still in the ICU at the time, funeral services could not be held. Therefore, a service will be held at the one-year-anniversary of Hung’s death on Friday, May 14, 2021. Visitation, worship time, and prayer will be held at 11:00 AM at St. John the Baptist Church located at 1015 Baker Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Mass will follow immediately afterwards. At the conclusion of the service, Hung’s remains will be brought and buried at Good Shephard Cemetery and Mausoleum located at 8301 Talbert Avenue, Huntington Beach, CA 92646.
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Created with love by
Viba Nguyen (Hung's daughter).
