Xin thanh kinh pha^n u*u cung toan the gia dinh.  Cau xin linh cuu cua Ba'c cho'ng ve^`co~i cu*.c la.c.

Tri', Hoa, va Megan Le^

This story begins back when I was a senior in high school, I was about to graduate, and I was indecisive as to what I wanted to study. I had so many options to choose from; mathematics, statistics, chemistry, computer engineering, dance. I didn't know what to do. They all sounded  so cool. I loved thinking abstractly and trying to solve mathematical problems. But, I was also very good at statistics and probability. Not to mention the fact that I was the top in my chemistry class. I had also recently gotten into programming, and it piqued my curiosity.

After much thought, I eventually decided to major in statistics at UF. I had always found statistics interesting. From calculating probability, to doing tests on correlation; statistics seemed to have many applications in life from politics, to economics, and many other facets of society. However, my parents had something different in mind for me. They wanted me to do science or engineering. They didn't want me to study statistics, and after much argument, I reluctantly changed the major on my college application to computer engineering (and in retrospect, I'm glad they convinced me to switch. I thoroughly enjoy computer engineering).

Anyway, fast forward a year or so later to August 2011. Ong Ngoai just had his first stroke, and he was in the hospital. He was delirious. He was talking in his sleep, mumbling random things, trying to get out of bed while sick. Occasionally, various family members would stay by him and watch him to make sure he didn't do anything crazy.

One night Viet was staying with him, and Ong Ngoai was having a flashback dream to a conversation he had with my Mom. She had told him about how I wanted to study statistics and how she had convinced me to do a different program. He mumbled a response in his sleep that I should be able to study statistics if I wanted. Statistics is used world wide, and not many people can understand and be good at statistics. If I studied statistics, I could do great things and help a lot of people.

Now, you may wonder why this is such a significant memory for me. Well, pretty much my whole life, I've always felt like a dunce in the family; particularly because I am terrible with Vietnamese. I have always had a hard time communicating with Ong Ba Ngoai. I'm lucky if I can understand a quarter of what they say. When they talk, I usually just sit there and look stupid. This has always made me feel like a black sheep in the family (not to mention the fact that everyone thinks I'm a complete weirdo).

This conversation made me really feel more connected to the family. Even though I could barely understand him, and he could barely understand me, he still fully supported and believed in me. I never ended up switching back to statistics, and I was never there when he said any of this, but it is my memory of him that I cherish the most.

Xin chia buon cung Tien va tang quyen. Cau nguyen bac trai som ve coi Phat.

Hi anh Tien, anh Tai,
 
Gia dinh em xin that that chia buon voi gia dinh anh chi. 
 
em Huy + em Tran + be' Bo`n Bon

Anh chi Tien-Huong,
Thanh kinh phan uu, va thanh that chia buon cung anh chi va gia dinh.
Nam & Chuong Dai

Hi anh Tien and anh Tai,

It is a very touching tribute to Bac Hai! Please accept our condolences to you and your family!

Sincerely,
Giao, LanChi, and Brandon

Anh Tien,

  Em thanh ki'nh chia buon cung anh va gia dinh, cau nguyen vong linh bac an nghi noi chin suoi.  Doc bai tho va ba`i viet ve bac, that hay va cam dong lam.  Doi nguoi vo^ thuong, mong anh va gia dinh dung buon nhieu, va hay bao trong suc khoe.

Em Nhon

Chao anh Tien chi Huong,

Gia dinh em xin thanh that chia buon voi gia dinh anh chi va dai gia dinh bac Hai.  That la mot su mat mat lon cho gia dinh.
Em xin cau chuc huong hon cua bac som duoc ve noi mien cuc lac.

Neu em co the giup duoc gi thi xin anh chi cho biet.

Gia dinh em Lam

Tien-Huong, Tai-Hoa Ly:
 
Our deepest sympathy goes out to you and your family for the big loss.
I have faithfully conveyed to friends what Huong just talked to me.  
As usual, I will co-ordinate our caring friends for the condolences.

Keep me informed on the funeral, as well as where we will direct our friend's "Phung  Dieu"  to.
Please let  me know if anything I (and our friends) can help during this difficult time of your family.


Xin Thành Kính Phân Uu cùng gia dình và  
C?u Chúc Huong H?n Bác Trai S?m Tiêu Diêu Noi MÌnh C?c L?c,

Khi?t & Thùy Duong.

Dear chu Tien and chu Tai, 
I send my most heartfelt sympathies to you and your family during this difficult loss. You both have helped my family and I greatly and our thoughts are with you.

Dear Duc, Chi, and all Nguyen family,
Since we learned about Mr. Hai's passing away, we were deeply saddened by the news. 
We can only imagine how difficult this must be for all of you. Your family are in our thoughts and prayers.
-Pat & Johnatan

Dear LanAnh,
My heart goes out to you and your family during this time of sadness. Your father was a wonderful man and it shows in the character of his children.

Our love and prayers are with you always.

With love and hugs,
Xuan, Xulia, and Fermincito
Daniel and Tien-Dung

Lan Anh,

Thieu xin goi loi chia buon den Lan Anh va gia dinh.

Thieu hoi huong tat ca nhung phuoc bau da va dang lam den Bac de giup Bac duoc tai sanh noi Nhan Canh.

AnhChi thanh kinh chia buon voi Bac Gai va toan gia quyen ve su ra di vinh hang cua Bac Trai..
Moi ngay nao day o Minnesota..thoi gian troi nhanh qua...moi nguoi roi cung den luc ra di..
Cau mong Bac som sieu thoat tinh do..
Kinh tham Bac Gai binh tam va toan the Chi Em binh tam cau nguyen cho Bac Trai..
Than men,
Tuan+Lan

Chau xin thay mat cha me chau va toan the gia dinh o Vietnam thanh kinh chia buon voi Di va dai gia dinh. Cau chuc Duong an nghi thanh than noi suoi vang.
Chau Thang

Xin thanh kinh chia buon cung Me va gia dinh Hong Anh .Co xin thap nen huong va cau mong Ba duoc thanh than noi mien an lac .
Ngoc Anh.

nhan tin anh Bac qua doi vo chong em rat buon,gia dinh em xin goi loi chia buon cung chi va cac chau. Hong Anh cham soc va an ui me.Anh chi Bac la nguoi co tam long rat tot nen con cai huong duoc phuoc,cac chau nen thuong me nhieu.     Chu Si va co Hong Anh thanh kinh phan uu

Hong,
Thank you for calling with the news.  I am very sorry for your loss and the sadness in your family, but you have a wonderfully strong family that will support each other.  We loved knowing your dad, such a cheerful fellow and so brave.  Please give our regards to your mom and I will take care of Bird.  He was fine yesterday.

Patty

Con chao Di Hong Anh,
 
Cam on Di da bao tin cua Ong cho con va Nghi. Con rat buon vi chi gap duoc Ong mot lan truoc khi Ong di. Mong Ong som duoc yen nghi. Con se cau nguyen cho Ong va cho gia dinh trong nhung ngay nay. Di cho con gui loi hoi tham toi Ba va moi nguoi.
 
Thinh

Dear Bac Gai, LanAnh, Ban and family,

Although no words of sympathy can take away your sorrow, may memories of your loved one give you strength for each tomorrow.

We were lucky to get to know hai Bac when we crossed paths in Kauai and Oahu during our Hawaii vacation in 1997. Our family spent a few days with hai Bac, LanAnh, Ban and ViAnh. He was a simple, sage, honest, fun, loving person quick to laugh. He joked and he made us feel at ease like being part of his family, one of his children. He doted on Vivian, and our children loved being around him and Bac gai. He enjoyed life and loved to travel. We had such a good time. We cherish the special memory. 

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.

Our hearts go out to all of you in your time of sorrow. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Cau mong huong linh cua Bac som duoc sieu thoat ve coi Phat. Xin thanh that chia buon cung Bac gai, LanAnh va toan the gia dinh.

Ngan, Khuong va cac anh em

Your family is in our thoughts and prayers.

Our hearts go out to you in your time of sorrow. 

-T.A. Nguyen and family

Chu Bac (tuc chu Nguyen Thai Hai) la nguoi rat quan tam den dong ho, cau noi cua ho hang giua Hoa Ky- Viet Nam, giua Da Lat- Nghe An. Thuong tiec chu, mong chu an giac ngan thu.

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Tai Nguyen and extended Family,
Sorry for your loss, hope that family stays strong together and pray that your father rest in peace…

TIPBU Endpoints team, 
Cisco systems Inc

Ch? và gia dình chia bu?n cùng M? và các em. C?u nguy?n huong linh c?u Vãng Sanh C?c L?c
Gia Ðình Son Hà

    Chi Bac, Hong Anh cung gia dinh: Chung em, Hien va Truyen cung gia dinh thanh that chia buon cung chi va tat ca trong gia quyen. Cau mong huong linh anh Bac som ve coi Phat.
                                                                       Hien + Truyen ( Orlando, Fl )

Your family is in my prayers.  I was so sorry to hear of the passing of your father.  With sympathy... 
Jim, Amy, Mackenzie, Hayden, and Stone

Nam & Trang and LanAnh & Ban than,  Thanh that chia buon cung Nam va Trang, LanAnh va Ban va toan the gia dinh. Xin cau cho huong linh bac som xieu thoat. 
Long Hoang (Plymouth, MN)

Hong and family,
we were sad to hear of your father's passing.  Thinking of you.
Polk County Natural Resources staff

Thua bac gai, chi Lan Anh anh Ban, anh Nam chi Trang va gia dinh, con xin cau nguyen Chu Phat, Chu Bo Tat tiep dan huong linh cua bac Hai duoc ve den coi Ta Ba Cuc Lac Quoc.  Xin thanh that chia buon voi bac gai va cac anh chi.

We are so sorry for your lost.  Our sincere condolences.  Although he has gone to an eternal life, memories of his love, strengh and compassion live on in your heart.  How lucky you all are to have a dad that you will cherish every moments that he had build with his hands and heart for his family and friends.

With deepest respects and sympathy to Quynh, Eddie, and Family

Dear Lan Anh & Ban,

We are deeply sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved father.  Our hearts are with you in this time of sorrow.  

May your memories bring you comfort now and in the days ahead.

B?u Trâm & Family

Anh Duc va Chi than men,
Thanh that chia buon voi hai ban va gia dinh.  Our hearts and thought are with you and your family at this difficult time.  May Peace be with you.

                                                             Long & Dung Nguyen (Palo Alto, CA)

Dear Mai and Phuong.  Our hearts go out to both of you and family during this difficult time. We will never forget the fond memories of Ong.

Anh Mai and Phuong,
We are so sorry for your loss.  Our hearts go out to you and your family during this difficult time.  
Stan & Long Yates

Dear Mrs. Hai ,Niece HongAnh and Your Great Family ,
Family KhoaDo would like to share with you about The Big Loss ! 
We think Mr. Hai was not The Great in your own Great Family but also The Best in  Former Employees who had worked in Directorate of Aerial Bases of Republic of Vietnam in TansonNhut/Saigon before April 30th 1975 as well the CCHKVN 's former employees who has to be being in scatterring around the World after the Fall of Saigon !
 Mr. Hai also was the Most Effective Writer & Contributor in LTCC !
We all pray for Mr. ThaiHaiNguyen's soul A Very Pleasureful Life in Heaven. Sincerely Yours,
KhoaDo & his Family@Orange Park/Florida.

Dearest Quynh & Eddie,

Over the years every time I met your parents at your home, I was so inspired & amazed at what a wonderful job they had done raising your family. They all started from scratch and how proud they must be of all of you and how hard they must have worked.

I still remember your dad serving me Vietnamese food with such love. I know you will all miss this great and wonderful man.

Our thoughts & prayers are with you.

Meena, Mohan & Maya

While I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hai Thai Nguyen, his bravery and struggles have been shared with me over the past year by Mai and Patty, my colleagues. He was so well loved, courageous and inspiring. It is an honor to have been given a little glimpse of this remarkable man's life.

Hi Lan Anh,

We are so sorry for a loss of your beloved father.  Our prayers will be with you.

To my Dad - 

Born in North,
Raised in South.
Father of Eight,
Husband of One.

Simple in words,
Honest in soul.
Strong like oak,
Straight like arrow.

Age may differ,
Like father like son.

We are so sorry for your loss. We are thinking of your family.

Dearest Quynh and Eddie,
We are so sorry for passing away of your father.  Please know that we will have him in our prayers.
Sean and Nellie Tehrani.

One day on March 26, 2013 me and Ong Noi played math facts. It was fun, and after the math facts we played a puzzle game. That was fun too. I will always miss Ong Noi. I will always know he will be in my heart or memory. Thank you for everything you done. Ong Noi you are the best and only grampa I could ever have.

Throughout life we make decisions that we regret. My biggest regret is not having a close relationship with ong noi. His passing on has struck me hard because I had the opportunity to spend time with him but I never seized it. I never got to know him. I would always push it back thinking I would have time later. I never knew how precious life was and how it could end just like that. Ong noi lived a long life and had eight wonderful children, who I love. His life was never easy and he always worked hard for the life he wanted for him and his family. Though I may not have been close to Ong noi, the time I did spend with him I enjoyed and he taught me that if I wanted something in life I had to work for it and it wasn't going to be easy so I had to always persevere for it. I am so glad to have known such a determinate man and I only wish to be like him.

Even though my memories with Ong noi are limited, the ones I have with him I cherish. I remember the first time I rode a real train; not the ones you see in the mall carrying little kids with snot running down their noses, I mean the Amtrak; I was with Ong noi and Ba noi. I remember how fascinated I was with the train. I began asking question about how the train worked and Ong noi would explain how all the parts of the train worked together so that it could move. I remember thinking “Wow! Ong noi is so smart,” and it was true he was a brilliant man. I remember I could have listened to him talk about the train all day, but since I was only 8-ish I had the attention span of a milk carton. However, now that I am older I realize how passionate how passionate Ong noi was about everything: his family, his work, and of course his garden.

Talking about his garden, I thought it was the most magical thing in the world. His garden at Ong noi and Ba noi's old house in North Carolina was the most supercalifragilisticexpialidocious thing in the world. I loved how Ong noi would contort the plants into intricate designs. I remember the honeysuckle bush that grew in his garden. Every year when spring started, I would go out with him and pick some. The drops that came from the little flower tasted like heaven on my tongue. Ong noi hand such nurturing hands; he could probably grow any type of plant. I only wish he could have showed me his tricks because I kill almost all the plants I touch.  
Ong noi lived a long and wonderful life full of love and laughter. I am so blessed to have known him. Heck, I am so proud to be related to him. I love you Ong noi and I will miss you dearly. You will be in my thoughts forever.

I think Ong moved upstairs to get a better view of his garden. 

His smile is now the sun, still shining brighter than ever upon us. His love, the rain, feeding and showering us, the seeds he worked so arduously to plant. From his new home, he can watch his endless efforts pay off as we grow. Some of us just sprouts, slowly transforming into beautiful flowers. Others, fully-bloomed, continuing to reach out. No matter the seedling, the passion and patience dedicated to each is illustrated through the tireless, caring hands that helped establish such strong roots and rich stems. 

Now that his work is done, he can rest and watch his masterpiece blossom. We're only growing closer to you, Ong.

Ong Noi has been a great inspiration to me. He was an encouraging and charismatic person who was always happy to hear about achievements and accomplishments at school, swimming or anywhere else.

One of my favorite memories with Ong Noi was when we had a huge snowstorm and Huy, my dad, Ong and I went out to shovel the mountain of snow on our driveway. After we were done, he helped my brother and I build a snowman.  We spent hours building it and it was almost as tall as I was (I was about 7 at the time). While we did that, Ong Noi gave me and my brother many useful tips on how to build snowmen and shovel snow more efficiently. For a person who lived most of their life in a warmer climate he knew a lot about snow. We even gave the snowman eyes, a nose, and a mouth with chalk. Although a few days the snow started to melt and the chalk made the snowman bleed rainbows. I still thought it was cool that we had made a life-sized snowman.

Ong Noi and I may not have spent a lot of time together since we were always far apart, but the few wonderful memories I share with him will forever stay engraved in my mind. Ong Noi has been a great inspiration and mentor to me. He was always eager to lend a helping hand when needed. I will never forget you Ong Noi. I love you dearly and you will be missed.

When I think about Ong Noi, I think about a very special person and the happy time when I could spend time with all of my relatives.  Looking back, I wish I could have spent more time with Ong Noi.  Every time I met him, I always learned something.  An everlasting memory that I have of him is getting banh trang out of his garage.  Every time we visited Ong Ba Noi, we would always go on “an adventure” with him to look for Ba Noi's banh trang and co Hong would always tell us that we had to share them with her.  One time, anh Minh and I went for a walk with Ong Noi and he actually walked faster than us.  He made fun of us saying, “How can an 80 year-old man walk faster than you?”  Through many stories that my parents told us, Ong Noi accomplished a lot in life and he never sat still until the end, even though his mind was slipping away.  He was the father of few but mentor to many.  Somewhere up there, I hope he knows how proud we are to call him our Ong Noi.  Rest in peace, Ong Noi.  We love you and we will always miss you.

Time passes by, people grow old, but memories last forever. He was a man who stood proud, a man who defined compassion, a man who lived his life without regrets. He enriched my life and the lives of everyone he touched. He cemented positive attributes that brightened my future and molded the person I am today. This man was my Ong ngoai.
 
When I was young, I remember going to this frigid place called Minnesota, a place where 2 layers of pants and countless layers of jackets was not enough to keep the cold away. But there existed this place; a warm and cozy house. A place full of life that brushed away the cold and warmed the souls of its inhabitants. A place Ong Ngoai called home. It was here that I first experienced the wonders of snow. Ong Ngoai taught me how to build snowmen with bucket heads and imprint snow angels on freshly fallen snow. He let us build intricate fortresses from couch cushions in the basement and expanded our imaginations through perplexing puzzles. I'll always remember those days in Ong's basement.
 
As I grew older, the couch cushions remained tucked and the number of construction projects expanded. Ong requested our help and soon our childhood imaginary forts turned into full fledged projects. Porch archways, patios, and vine fruit platforms, there were no tasks we couldn't accomplish! It was during these times that I saw what hard work truly was. Ong Ngoai sketched the designs, hammered nails and wooden planks, painted and coated. He was a true do-it-yourself project manager. I remember him always being the first to start and the last to leave. It was his experience and resourcefulness that allowed us to overcome almost every problem we encountered.
 
My memories of Ong Ngoai also traveled overseas. This includes my time with him in Vietnam. I still reminisce about him discussing the history of our culture as we visited different temples. He went about reading any and all brochures and asked the tour guides many many many questions. And after gathering the information Ong explain it back to Viet and me so we could understand. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge never ceased to amaze me and continued for many adventures. It didn't matter where the temple was. If the temple was deep in the forest, atop a mountain with hundreds of stairs, or hidden within a cave, we visited it. As he raced us past one historical site to another, it felt like Ong Ngoai had the stamina of a 20 year old. He was always enthusiastic to explain different temple designs, kings of the past, and symbolisms of the different eras. This enthusiasm continued to Europe too. He was always fascinated by the different architectural designs as we went from country to country. His eyes lit up in typical tourist fashion when he got a chance to see Michelangelo's ceiling or the Roman coliseum.  His body churned as we visited the windmills of Holland and his excitability aroused in the presences of the Notre Dame gargoyles. I cherish those times with him.
 
But my time with him wasn't limited to fun and games. There were times when he would peek into my room, see me laying around and wave his hand saying “come here.” These were dreaded moments because I always knew what came next. “How do you copy this file to this folder?” Or “how can I see what changes I made” were the normal comments while working on his books. It wasn't until after I had repeated to him how something was done 5 times, wrote detailed step-by-step instructions, and had him demonstrate it back to me was he was truly satisfied. I was then allowed to leave as he continued to slowly poke the keys until he finished that task. That was… Until he found me thirty minutes later to ask another question. He was never afraid to ask questions and wanted to fully understand the process. That was one characteristic that exemplified him.  
 
It wasn't until later that I realized how busy Ong really was. Whether it was a backyard project here, a garden there, another chapter in his book, he found ways to make an impact on others' lives. But one thing stood out in my mind. No matter how busy he was, he always made time for family. He joked, he laughed, he made that awkward smile, but he genuinely enjoyed life. I remember walking around at dusk in Hilton Head and there was a band playing in the background. Ashley heard it and started dancing and Ong Ngoai followed suit. It was funny and touching at the same time, seeing the old and young intermingle. But most important to me was that he always found time to sit down and enjoy a family dinner. A giant pot of rice, a hundred seats filled with hungry faces, and plenty of food, he kindled the best environment to raise a family. It is this that will make me remember him forever.
 
He will remain special to me and everyone he touched. I am forever grateful to him, especially for him being my Ong Ngoai. I have grown immensely under his influence. Even though he might not always be alive and breathing, his spirit will always be around. We will never forget.

Every time I think of Ong, I will always remember his enthusiasm towards learning.  I vividly remember touring Philadelphia with him a few years ago where he held us up because he stayed to read every fact about the Liberty Bell.  He made me read all of the details along with him. He walked slowly around the city, soaking in all of the historical information surrounding him.



He loved working with his hands and challenging himself and everybody around him.  Whenever he came to visit us in NJ, he'd look around our house for things to fix. He even recruited Anh Thien to repaint our front door one time. He would always have something for us to do.



I will always remember how Ong found a way to recycle everything.  At our Florida Family Reunion in 2008, Ong reused old magazines to make hundreds of origami containers with Ba Noi, and we had them lying around all of the rental houses to hold scraps and bits of trash.  When I visited the family in Florida this summer, I laughed when Co Hong Anh brought out the same magazine containers. It had been over 4 years and Ong was still making them.



Because preserving memories was always so important to Ong, I can picture him smiling down on us.  Ong's passing made all of us reflect on our family values. I am so glad to have had all of these years with him. I am sure that Ong Noi is very happy to see that we are doing this to honor him. Ong Noi -- I miss you and I will remember everything you have taught me.

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” (Quote by Mae West) Ong Noi is the epitome of this statement. He lived his life to the fullest, had eight children along the way, all of which he raised to be very respectable people.

     Ong Noi always had so much wisdom to offer. He taught me to try my best to be successful in life, so that they could lead good ones. He taught me that anything can mean everything, as long as it comes from the heart. He taught me that no one is useless that helps others prosper. Everything I learned, he intended for me to use in life to be happy.

          Lives are like flowers. They are taken for granted until they are almost gone. I suppose that I am guilty of this. I always thought that there would be time for family later. I never really thought that even life had its limits until it was too late. He was already gone.

     Ong Noi led a very happy life and I know that he is in a better place now. I am also sure that he wouldn't want us to dwell on his passing forever. He wouldn't want us to live the rest of our lives under the façade of a relatively gleeful life when in reality, we are suffering. Although, this has left a bleeding incision in our memory, he would want it to mend. On the bright side, I would like to think that because of his death I have rediscovered myself and would like to say thank you Ong Noi, for providing me with everything you did and that I love you.

Ong noi was the strongest person I knew. Since I was young, I've been regaled with tales of his life and accomplishments: how he came to America with little more than the clothes on his back and built a home for his family. Such feats have always been outlandish to me, which is probably why I never thought twice about it. Ong noi, as I remember him, was neither a fugitive nor a penniless man, but a grandfather surrounded by his happy children and grandchildren. It honestly sounds foolish now, but I never considered him a hero for the great things he did. I just took him for granted as my grandpa, as children are wont to do, and immortalized him in my mind. I am very thankful that he remained a part of my life for so long, and I want him to know, wherever he is, that I love him.

I was closest to Ong noi in my childhood. He moved to North Carolina when I was young, and I remember being ecstatic because all my cousins would come to visit him; we hosted huge family gatherings every year during summer and winter breaks, where the children would all play together, usually noisily, and the adults would talk amongst themselves. I treasured those times dearly because my family was usually spread out all over America (sometimes even farther) and these were the precious few times we could all have fun together. While this isn't a memory of Ong noi personally, it is a time I associate closely with him because he taught me the value of family. I think everything he did was for his family, in some way or another.

I remember when he approached me with an easy request: he was gathering pictures of each of his grandchildren to put in a photo album, and he wanted to me help by taking a lot of pictures and sending them to him. To be honest, I was less enthusiastic because I never liked being in photographs, so I halfheartedly agreed to his request. I will regret this endlessly; now I would like nothing more than to leaf through a photo album that I put together with him, chronicling my childhood. He was always thinking of my cousins and me, even when we didn't appreciate him.

My last memory is fairly simple. When I was young, my parents used to stress the importance of properly greeting my elders whenever they came to visit or I went to visit them. Because I saw them so frequently, Ong noi and Ba noi were probably the people I greeted the most. Although the task wasn't difficult, Ong noi would always fuss over how good I was whenever I greeted him (this was usually accompanied with a hug and a strong pat on the back). I remember being proud of myself, though it sounds silly to me now. Ong noi not only showed me endless love, he also rewarded me for having basic manners, which has stayed with me through the years.

I don't think I'll ever meet a stronger man than Ong noi. I am so proud to be one of his grandchildren. In the end, these are words I never got to tell him, but I hope he knows this. Thank you for all your love, Ong noi. Thank you for everything you've ever done, and I love you.

My first memory is when Ong Ngoai made tunnels out of cardboard boxes in his basement at his house in MN. It is one of my memories of Ong Ba Ngoai's old house. I remember Ong Ngoai building the tunnel by joining old cardboard boxes with each other ( there wasn't a bottom to the box). i remember crawling through the tunnels very fast and thinking "This is awesome." 

My second memory is when Ong Ngoai helped me with my egg drop in fourth grade. He helped me decide what to put into my shoe box that would keep the egg from breaking. I remember dropping the box from the window from my house and Ong Ngoai was on the deck watching it fall. When we were satisfied with my design, I brought it to school and it worked! Both of my eggs had survived. I was really happy because I received a certificate that both of my eggs survived.

Another memory I have is when Ong Ngoai and I fixed our dining table. At first I watched him tighten the screws in the table with a small screw driver and a wrench. After a while, he let me do it. Ong Ngoai showed me how to tighten the screws. When we were done, he said that when he leaves that I could fix the table because I know how. it made me feel very proud and strong.

Ong Ngoai did creative things designed to teach a little while providing fun.  This combination is one of the most distinctive things i remember 
about him.

He drew me a picture of my wedding arch. After looking at wedding pictures of my parents, I remember being interested in their wedding arch set up in front of Ong Ba Ngoai's house. Ong Ngoai noticed this and  drew just a simple sketch of a wooden arch with some balloons tied to it, but to me it was the prettiest thing in the world.

He brought snow into the house in a pan and we made mini snowmen which was fun and seemed to be an impossible feat for the simple world of my 
younger self. I'd never thought snow could come into the house.  It was supposed to stay outside! 

He pushed us in a plastic wheelbarrow through the twists and turns of his basement. Across the minibar he put an ironing board, so it made a little tunnel.  He would then push us (em and I) around while we urged him to go faster. To em and I, this seemed to be the best rollercoaster there could ever be. 

He answered my 5-year old questions like "How are mountains made?" with enthusiasm and patience using words that I could understand.  I remember Ong Ngoai always encouraging me to ask about things I didn't understand and asking me questions himself to see if I understood what was going on.  He always pushed my brain.

Every friday night we would go over to their house and stay the night, the constant I could count on.  Those fridays were the basis of my childhood.  I just sat there, coloring maybe, listening to the adults chatter away.  It was simple, but really nice.

Mr. Hai and his family escaped from Communist persecution, a few at a time and at great risk, with nothing but the clothes on their backs and a burning desire for freedom.  He never let adversity stop him, but always moved forward with his life and with the lives of his family.  He's the perfect example to all of us of the value of freedom and the value of family.  Never have I met or known a greater hero.

I love grandpa because he lets me water his garden. I like his seasame crackers. When ba is sick he picks me up then we went to the park. He helped me do the monkey bars under the bridge. He let me play on the coumputer when I viset him! I like to viset grandpa. Now he is gone I will always rember the things we did together.

I love grandpa because of the snacks. The snack I like is the sesame chips. The ones they make are so good. They are so better than store bought ones. I also love the frozen icee  from their refrigerator.

I like the time when he let us water his garden and took us to the park and McDonald. Now that he's gone I will miss him.

OBITUARY

Hai Thai Nguyen

December 14, 1935 – March 30, 2013

Sunset Funeral Home and Cemetery

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