Peter Plunkett Nguyen, Sr.

Peter Plunkett Nguyen, Sr., 85, of Sienna Plantation, TX, died peacefully in his sleep at home on Thursday, December 9, 2021, surrounded by his wife, children and friends. He was born on June 16, 1936, in Hanoi, Vietnam, to Nguyen Van De and Phan Thi Chin.

While growing up in Vietnam, he led a challenging, impoverished life. He survived the Japanese occupation of Vietnam during World War II, the subsequent French attempt to occupy Vietnam and then finally the Viet Cong takeover of Vietnam. Through these political upheavals, he supported his four sisters and his parents while working during the day and going to school at night. In his early adulthood, he joined the South Vietnamese Air Force while enrolled in law school at night. He eventually met and married his wife and started a young family during the Vietnam War. Prior to the end of the war, he immigrated to the United States in 1975 with his wife and children to build a new life.

Peter and his family relocated to Chicago, IL, where he was a devoted father and husband who cared for his young family. He initially worked various menial jobs to provide food for his family and a roof over their heads. He worked as a waiter, pizza deliverer and a paint factory worker, all the while supporting his family and putting himself through night school to become an elementary school teacher. Through hard work, he succeeded in obtaining a master’s degree in education. He dedicated himself to the education of young minds for 24 wonderful years after which he retired from the Chicago Board of Education.

He not only instilled the value of education in students but also in his four children. He prioritized his children above himself and made many sacrifices so that his children could go to private schools and achieve higher level of education. He imbued within his kids his strong work ethic. Peter and his kids delivered newspapers and the yellow pages to supplement the family income while Peter worked as a teacher during the daytime. He fostered values of love, kindness and humility in his children. In short, his children were his pride and joy.

During his retirement years, he took pleasure in various hobbies. He enjoyed developing astrological birth charts for family and friends and making arts and crafts dedicated to Catholic saints and Jesus Christ. He also enjoyed playing with his grand-corgi Harry and feeding him potato chips on the sly.

Peter was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ who prayed every day and went to church every weekend. He was a member of St. Angela Merici Catholic Church. He instilled the importance of the Catholic faith in his family. Peter was a humble, kind, hard working and loving father and husband who touched the lives of his family and friends.

Peter is survived by his wife Mary Therese Nguyen, his son Peter Plunkett Nguyen, Jr., his daughters Mary Cecilia Nguyen, Elizabeth Nguyen, and Margaret Nguyen and his sisters Nguyen Thi Tuyet and Nguyen Thi Chin.

Visitation and mass service will be on Monday, January 10, 2021, from 2-6 p.m. at the Chapel of Vietnamese Martyrs (685 Singleton Road, San Jose, CA 95111). Celebration of life will be on Tuesday, January 11, 2021, at 11 a.m. at Saint Maria Goretti (2980 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95111) followed by the burial service. Burial service will take place at Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park (300 Curtner Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125) at 12:30 p.m.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Nguyen family may be shared at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/san-jose-ca/peter-nguyen-10489653.