Mr Van Vi Nguyen was born on May 9, 1948 in Vietnam and passed away June 15, 2020, in Kansas City, KS. He was valedictorian of his high school. His earnest desire was to gain higher education by attending college, but was so frustrated with the attrocities occuring in his homeland, he chose to enlist in military service. Mr. Nguyen was sent to the US and trained as a helicopter mechanic. While working at the Da Nang Airport, he was chosen lead a Catholic Youth Group because of his faith and choir director at the church.
Fearing persecution due to his faith and military service he fled with his family by boat in 1981. At sea, his family was rescued by a US fishing boat. At the refugee base in the Phillipines the authorities wanted to split his family apart across several countries, but he pleaded his case and prayed to God and the Virgin Mary. God answered his prayer and and had St. Peter’s Catholic Church and Holy Rosary intervene so his 3 children, wife, 5 brothers in law, 1 nephew and 3 cousins were all allowed to come to the US. He helped raise this extended family to become upstanding US citizens. Through his hardwork and perservance, all of his family was able to attain higher education.
He was offered a job as an airplane mechanic with better pay, but declined since he would have to leave his family to work. Instead, he apprenticed at Dave Roe Autobody Shop in Lee’s Summit, MO and learned autobody repair. After about 8 years, he was able to open his own store, KC Autobody Shop in Kansas City, KS, which remained continuously opened for over 30 years until the day he died. The only days he closed his shop was Sunday for church, and Thanksgiving and Christmas. He still managed to help find the first vietnamese catholic youth group in Kansas City and became the first group of Eucharistic ministers at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. He taught bible school every Saturday and helped find funding for the first Vietnamese church, Church of the Holy Martyrs in Kansas City. He was a member of the Sacred Heart League and served 2 terms as director of his church. His last days were spent at his shop working on customer’s cars doing what he loved, supporting the church, and talking to his wife.
He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Tuyen Pham, 2 daughters, Hang and Hanh and her husband Howard, 3 sons, Vinh and his wife Christine, Yen, and Viet, 4 grandchildren, Alena, Evan, Emma, and Nathan, and 3 godsons, Dung, Khai, and Quang.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 26, at Church of the Holy Martyrs, 7801 Paseo, KC, MO 64131. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, June 27, at the Church. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, KS.