Bich Ngoc Nguyen

She is considered an icon and pioneer to the Vietnamese community. She opened the 1st Cosmetic Surgery clinic in Vietnam with her surgeon husband in 1960, becoming so successful, she hobnobbed with the President and 1st Lady, became a prolific landowner in Saigon, and co-owned a bank. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, she came to Houston to continue her life’s work with the eponymous Bich Ngoc Cosmetic Surgery Center. Ever wanting to empower women and give voice to the Vietnamese diaspora, she organized the 1st Miss Vietnamese Universe Beauty Pageant in 2002, then founded VANTV, the 1st Vietnamese American Network Television station in Houston in 2009.

Along the way, she raised $100,000s for local charities such as the Houston Red Cross, 2011 Japanese Tsunami Victims, 2014 Philippines Typhoon Victims, college scholarships, temples and churches to name a few, as well as fundraising for local and national political candidates. What she was most proud of was mentoring and nurturing generations of Vietnamese with their careers in business, media, or aesthetics industries.

She loved hosting large parties for local leaders, friends, and family. She loved exercising every morning and lived by example, often making difficult decisions for the sake of her family, always with the greater good in mind.

She is survived by her husband, Dr. Ban Vu, 8 children, and 11 grandchildren.