Kiem Thi Nguyen’s life spanned continents and centuries. She was born on August 4, 1917 to Van Can Nguyen and Huynh Thi Huan in Rachgia, Vietnam where she was the oldest of five children. She spent her childhood in Vietnam where she attended a selective French school. It was an education that prepared her to later live in Paris and study in London.
Kiem returned to Vietnam where she worked for the US Embassy and USAID. She then moved to the United States where she reunited with extended family that had fled at the end of the Vietnam War.
In the 1980’s Kiem became a resident of Culpepper Gardens in Arlington, Virginia. Over the decades that she lived there she served her community in numerous capacities including staffing their gift shop and hand knitting gifts for countless residents and staff.
Kiem lived 107 full years with tremendous charm, tenacity and independence. She was especially masterful at carving the Thanksgiving turkey, even into her 90s. She received incredible care from her beloved aide Kelly Naupari and Kelly’s family. She is survived by numerous relatives including Christine, Raymond, Michelle, Remy and Xavier Ly.
