Tuan Nhu Nguyen's Obituary
Dr. Tuan Nhu Nguyen, age 75, passed away on January 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Nguyen was born the fourth of six children in Hanoi, Vietnam in 1947. He migrated to Saigon with his family where he spent his childhood. He graduated from the University of Saigon College of Dentistry in 1971 and upon completion served as an officer in the medical corps of the South Vietnamese Army.
He immigrated to the United States in 1975 and met the love of his life, Nga, during a snowy winter in Pittsburgh. They married in 1978 and have been inseparable since. Dr. Nguyen returned to school at the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Dentistry and earned his doctorate in dental medicine in 1983. He settled in San Francisco where he became one of the first Vietnamese American dentists and faithfully served the community until his retirement in 2019.
Dr. Nguyen will be dearly remembered as a devoted, loving husband and father. He cherished moments spent with his family and travelled the world with his wife and son. He was an avid adventurer and left footprints from Argentina to New Zealand, Egypt to Switzerland, and beyond. He was a trusted friend to many from all walks of life and is fondly described as kind-hearted, affable, and caring. He remained dedicated to his immigrant roots, having served as chair of the Vietnamese Community Center in San Francisco.
He is survived by his wife Dr. Nga Thi Vu, a retired dentist in Oakland; his son Dr. Alan Nguyen, a pediatric immunologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston; his brother Hung; and his sisters Bach Lien, Hong Lien, Kim Lien, and Anh Lien.
A viewing will be held at Chapel of the Chimes (4499 Piedmont Ave, Oakland, CA 94611) on February 16, 2023 10am to 6pm, with Buddhist ceremony and funeral at the same location on February 17, 2023 10am to 2pm.
In lieu of contributions, the family kindly suggests donations to the Chùa Từ Quang Vietnamese Buddhist Association of San Francisco (243 Duboce Ave, San Francisco, CA 94103).
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