Pav Na

He is survived by his wife, Chhum Siv Ly, his sons Rokha Na, Chanthy Na (Amber) and Angrith Na, his daughters Kheng Na, Jenny Na, Sopheap Na (David) and Kim Na (Janeth), his brothers Sokha Na and Socheth Na, his sisters Nao Na and Im Na, and his grandchildren Vanessa Na, Alyssa Na, Brendan Teck, Jennifer Heng, Tommy Heng, Aiden Moon and Hunter Na.

He is preceded in death by his father, Sok Na of Prey Veng, Cambodia, his mother, Srun Heng of Shanghai, China, his brothers Paov Na and Peng Na, his sister Va Na, and his daughter Kim Huy Na, who died in infancy.

Pav, who was affectionately known as “Kong Kong” to his seven grandchildren, was born on May 4, 1933 in Prey Veng, Cambodia. He married Chhum Siv Ly in February 1962 in Phnom Thom, Cambodia.

Pav was a successful business owner in Phnom Thom and Pochentong for many years. Sadly, when the Khmer Rouge regime took control of Cambodia in the mid-1970s, Pav and his family were forced to endure several years of torture, fear and manual labor camps. By 1979, in the midst of the Khmer Rouge genocide, Pav made the brave decision to leave his homeland to give his family an opportunity for a better life. After dodging bullets, landmines and numerous dead bodies littering the streets, Pav and his family escaped to Charom Kao E Dang, Thailand, where they lived in a refugee camp for nearly two years. The Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ Church sponsored Pav and his family to come to the United States in 1981.

Without speaking any English, Pav moved his family to Columbus, Ohio, then to Denver in 1982. Setting his pride aside, Pav worked a series of backbreaking manual labor jobs, earning minimum wage to support his wife, father and seven children while still remaining present in each of their lives.

His love for his family trumped everything and his passion to help reached many across the globe, from Colorado to Cambodia. In recent years, Pav frequently returned to his homeland to visit family and friends and to help build schools for children in rural Cambodia. His grandchildren will miss the phone calls from their “Kong” asking about their days.

He will be remembered as a caring and dedicated husband, father, uncle and grandfather who sacrificed his personal hopes and dreams to provide better opportunities for his family.