Surrounded by his loving family, Dong Kim Nguyen returned to the arms of our Heavenly Father, reuniting with his wife Riem, on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Born to Hoang Khac Nguyen and Mon Thi Nguyen on April 4, 1935 in Thai Binh, a coastal province in Northeastern Vietnam, Dong was the eldest of twelve children. After the signing of the Geneva Accords, the Nguyen Family immigrated to Lac An in South Vietnam, where Dong married Riem Thi Nguyen in 1955. He then enlisted in the South Vietnam Army, working as a nurse at a local hospital and as a draftsman for the Department of Transportation.  During this time, Dong taught himself English, which he then taught at a secondary school in Tan Hiep, and served as an interpreter for the US Army.  Returning to Kien Giang in 1970, he became the Dean and an English teacher at a local high school, and four years later, was elected as a councilman representing the province.

After the 1975 Fall of Saigon, Dong was arrested by the Communist Regime and detained as a prisoner of war in a re-education camp until early 1977. Shortly after his release, Dong and Riem tragically lost their eldest daughter Phuong to malaria, solidifying their resolve to flee Vietnam for the safety of their family. In the early dawn of February 25, 1979, Dong, his wife, their seven surviving children, and thirty-six other family members and friends fled Vietnam on a 1-1/2 by 10-yard boat refurbished by himself, his brother Michael Thaibinh, and his two oldest sons. After twenty-one days adrift at sea, their boat landed on the Indonesian coast where Dong eventually became the captain of the refugee camp in which his family resided, managing various aspects of camp activity.

Eight months later, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church sponsored the family's immigration to Houston, Texas, where Dong enrolled at Houston Community College, earning his degree in 1981. As a draftsman at Sun Oil company, Dong was relocated to Longview, Texas in 1983. A year later, the family returned to Houston, where he was employed as a draftsman for Pennzoil, then by Stewart & Stevenson until his retirement in 2002.

Dong was an inspiration to everyone who met him, but especially to his eight children, to whom he imparted a love of education and knowledge and a commitment to hard work and philanthropy, steeped in a strong sense of faith, family, and charity. His devotion to his family was immeasurable, evidenced by his lifelong commitment and continual sacrifices to provide for their security and success, a devotion that could only be outshone by his unconditional love for his twenty-three grandchildren.  Dong spent his retirement focused on spoiling his grandchildren—rarely missing a recital, graduation, or other milestone—traveling, and volunteering with the church.

As devout Catholics, Dong and Riem were committed to their faith, a commitment expressed through prayer, charity, and constant volunteering. Dong was a co-founder of Dan Than, an organization and Vietnamese publication which promoted the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church.  During his family's time as parishioners at the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in Houston in the early 1980s, Dong was an active member of the Knights of Columbus Vietnamese Chapter. After joining the Christ the Redeemer Parish in Cypress, Dong and Riem's faith inspired them to begin hosting the Vietnamese Food Booth at the annual Spring Festival in 1987, a tradition that is continued to this day by his children and extended family.  Through the fog of his last days, Dong frequently sang the Prayer of Saint Francis, an appropriate hymn to honor the life of a true instrument of the Lord's peace, whose love, faith, and light will forever inspire all who knew him.

Dong is lovingly remembered by his children: son Truc (Yeu) Nguyen, son Tho (Chau) Nguyen, daughter Huong (Chin) Nguyen, daughter Thuy (Lam) Tran, son Trung (Lien) Nguyen, daughter Nguyet (David) Hrncir, and daughter Ann (Stephen) Moore. He is also survived by twenty-two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hoang and Mon; wife, Riem; daughter, Phuong, and granddaughter, Anh-Mai Moore.

Visitation and prayer service will be held on Monday, November 20 and Tuesday, November 21, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at

Klein Funeral Home
9719 Wortham Blvd
Houston, TX 77065

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 22, at 11:00 AM at

Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church
11507 Huffmeister Rd
Houston, TX 77065

Burial immediately following at

Earthman Resthaven Cemetery
13102 North Freeway
Houston, TX 77060

The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Wildflower Home Foundation, https://wildflowerhomefoundation.org/ , founded by Dong's brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Elizabeth Thaibinh.