Thoi Van Le

Mr. Le was born in Vietnam and was the owner of Endless Nails Salon.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 58 years Kim Nguyen, daughter Diem-Trang Le, son-in-law Tri Barsell, daughter Thuy-Trang Doan, son-in-law Khoa Doan, daughter Dai-Trang Le, son-in-law Huy Cat, and 8 grand children.

Mr. Le’s father passed when he was 3 years old. His mother remarried. When his stepfather did not allow him to continue with school, he found a way to rise above it to complete his education and went on to obtain a successful career until the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Mr. Le met his love of his life in his hometown, Mrs. Kim Nguyen, who is actually a younger sister of his very close friend. They loved each other dearly and he always took care of her and led the family through many difficult times.

After living 4 years under the communist regime, he realized there was no future for his daughters. He understood the importance of education and decided to plan for an escape to America and for the brighter future of his 3 daughters. The journey was arduous at sea. The family spent close to 8 months in refugee camps, and they migrated to America in 1979.

Being a prideful man, Mr. Le did not want to receive much of the governments’ help. He worked multiple jobs and tried to assimilate into his new country. Language was a large barrier, but he adjusted and adopted with the help of his children.

He was an entrepreneur and after working for close to 10 years as a labor worker, with the help of his wife, he went on to open many small businesses, from helping his wife run a food truck and Japanese restaurant, selling clothing at a flea market, and opening a couple of nail salons. Though his business attempts were not a huge success, his success stems from raising 3 daughters where he demanded nothing but excellence in their education. All 3 daughters graduated from the University of Central Florida and are currently working in IT and engineering fields.

Mr. Le’s legacy and quest for success continues with his 8 grandchildren. 7 of his 8 grandchildren have completed higher education and the youngest granddaughter is a rising star as she’s nearing the end of her high school years to enter college. Mr. Le’s greatest wish is to be able to attend one of his grand kid’s wedding which he got to attend last year.

The later years of his life, Mr. Le suffered multiple strokes but never once let it confine him. He was determined, resilient and enjoyed time with his wife, children and grandchildren. His thoughts were always on the well-being of his family, his wife, daughters, sons-in-law, and especially all his 8 grandchildren.

His most happy moment was when the entire family gathered to share precious time with him and his wife. Those were unforgettable wonderful memories where he really enjoyed watching his grandchildren surrounding him with talk and laughter.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 27 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Smith & Williams Funeral Home, 4889 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462.

The funeral service and cremation will be on Friday, April 28, from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home with reception.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.smithandwilliamskempsville.com for the Le family.