Văn Lý Hoàng

When Vietnam was divided in 1954, he and his family migrated to South Vietnam and settled in Saigon.

In Saigon, he began teaching at private secondary schools, specializing in English. With his precise pronunciation, effective teaching methods, and dedication to his students, he became known as an outstanding and respected teacher of his time.

In 1969, he married Ms. Trần Thị Tố Lan. Their first son, Hoàng Trần Nguyên Khôi, was born in 1970, followed by their second son, Hoàng Trần Nguyên Khoa, in 1971. Around this same period, he founded an English-language school called Khôi Nguyên, named after his first son. From its establishment until 1975, when the Communist regime took control of South Vietnam, Khôi Nguyên became a well-known and respected place for learning English in Saigon.

After the fall of South Vietnam, Mr. Văn made the difficult decision to leave the country in search of freedom. In 1976, he led his wife and their two young sons in an attempt to escape by boat. Unfortunately, the entire group was deceived and captured, and Mr. Văn and his family were arrested.

Because he spoke a foreign language, he was suspected of having worked for the former South Vietnamese government. As a result, he was imprisoned in a re-education camp in the remote mountains and dense forests for more than three years. After enduring three years of hardship and countless challenges, he survived and was eventually reunited with his wife and two sons through the grace and protection of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph.

Although he was no longer in the re-education camp, life for Mr. Văn and his family remained much like living in a prison, without freedom. Therefore, in 1981, he once again led his wife and two sons on a second attempt to escape Vietnam by boat, after saving and borrowing enough money to pay for the passage.

The journey was extremely dangerous. The boat was far too small for the large number of people aboard. After seven days adrift at sea, with very little food and drinking water, his firstborn son was near death. Thankfully, God once again came to the family's rescue through a group of Indonesian fishermen. They towed the small, sinking boat to a nearby island. From there, the refugees were transferred to the Galang Refugee Camp, where they remained temporarily.

After six months at Galang, the family was resettled in Monterey, California, in 1981, where they stayed with Mr. Văn's older brother, Mr. Hoàng Thế Huân. Several months later, Mr. Văn and his family moved to San Jose, where they remained until the end of his life.

Having arrived in America with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Mr. Văn gradually found his way back to the profession he loved—teaching. He became a counselor in the EOPS program at West Valley College, where he worked for several decades until his retirement. During those years, he helped many Vietnamese students and was deeply appreciated and respected by those whose lives he touched.

Mr. Văn's life was filled with many periods of hardship and triumph. Yet he found great happiness and stability in his later years beside his beloved wife, their two sons, and their loving and devoted grandchildren.

Sadly, his beloved wife and lifelong companion, Mrs. Trần Thị Tố Lan, was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer. Despite receiving care from excellent physicians and the latest medical treatments, she passed away far too soon in 2018.

After losing his beloved wife and life partner, Mr. Văn was deeply affected by grief and loss. His physical strength also gradually declined with the passage of time. Yet, thanks to the loving and devoted care of his family, relatives, and close friends, he lived for another eight years after his wife's passing.

Mr. Hoàng Lý Văn passed away peacefully, without pain, according to God's will, on September 13, 2026, at the age of 94.