Quyen Thi Nguyen

Quyen Thi Nguyen passed away peacefully at home on January 7, 2026, at the age of 99. She was born on September 15, 1926, in Ha Dong, Vietnam, as the youngest daughter of eight children. Quyen is preceded in death by her husband (Quynh Quang Nguyen), parents (Tiep Ba Nguyen and Duyet Thi Dang), four brothers, and three sisters.

Quyen’s early life was marked by constant change and upheaval. Her father was a government official who moved locations frequently across northern Vietnam according to his appointments. From the ages of 10 to 14, Quyen changed schools nearly every year. She lived for a time with her older brothers, apart from her parents, and was particularly close to her sister Quy, who acted like a mother despite being just two years older. Quyen’s high school studies were interrupted in 1940 due to the Japanese invasion of French Indochina.

On November 25, 1946, Quyen married Quynh Quang Nguyen, the son of her father’s friend and brother of her sister’s husband. They were married for 66 years until Quynh’s death in 2013. Shortly after the wedding, the couple was forced to flee from Ha Dong to Quyen’s ancestral home in Kim Bai due to the conflict between Vietnamese nationalists and French colonizers. The next year, they escaped to the countryside ahead of a French invasion. However, as the communist Viet Minh gained strength, the couple made the risky decision to slip back into French-occupied Hanoi with forged papers and rejoined relatives there.

Following the strain of this turmoil, Quyen suffered an illness at the age of 22 that left her bedridden with a cast on her leg for two years. Remarkably, she recovered in 1950 and was overjoyed to give birth to her first daughter, Minh-Thu, in 1952. A few months following the birth of their second daughter, Thu-Huong, in 1954, the family made the decision to relocate to South Vietnam, joining the exodus of people fleeing the communists in North Vietnam after the partition of the country. Quyen was deeply saddened to part from her mother, who remained in the North with her son, Quyen’s younger brother.

Quyen and Quynh settled in Saigon, where they lived for more than 20 years and had four more children: Tuan, Thu-Khanh, Minh, and Hai. Although their travel was limited because of the ongoing war between North and South Vietnam, the family still enjoyed trips to the beach and to the highlands of Da Lat. Quyen volunteered with the Red Cross in Saigon during the conflict. Quynh was a law professor at the University of Saigon, and his one-time consulting work for the American oil company Caltex helped secure the family a flight out of Vietnam shortly before the Fall of Saigon in April 1975.

After arriving in the United States, Quyen settled in Stockton, CA, with her family, where she lived for almost 50 years. She and her husband took many trips together, and she especially loved visiting France after studying French history in school. Quyen tended to the flowers and fruit trees in her beautiful yard, was a devout Buddhist, and hosted her growing extended family for Lunar New Year (Tet) and family gatherings. In 2024, Quyen relocated to Saratoga to live closer to family.

Quyen navigated the challenges of her life with dignity and grace. She was known for her beauty, courage, and her care for her family. She always inquired after her loved ones, and her mind was remarkably sharp for the entirety of her long life. She wished to be remembered as a mother willing to sacrifice for her family.

Quyen is survived by her six loving children and their spouses, Minh-Thu Nguyen Vu (Huy Duc Vu), Dana Nguyen Loury (David James Loury), Tuan Quang Nguyen (Jacqueline Tram Hoang), Monique Khanh Nguyen, Kevin Minh Nguyen (Krystel Nga Nguyen), Christopher Hai Nguyen, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held on February 28, 2026 at Oak Hill Funeral Home - Chapel of Roses, 300 Curtner Ave, San Jose, CA 95125.

9:00 am - 10:00 am: Buddhist Funeral Ceremony

10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Visitation

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Remembrance

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Buddhist Cremation Ceremony

2:30 pm: Cremation

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to a charity of your choice in her memory.