Ich D. Nguyen

1949 - 2017

The Rev. Ich D. Nguyen, a South Vietnamese naval officer who escaped imprisonment after the Vietnam War and started a new life as an engineer and Christian minister in the U.S., passed away on Dec. 23 after a brief illness. Born October 10, 1949 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam, Ich joined the South Vietnamese Navy in 1969. He received training as a naval officer in Saigon and attended the Naval War College's Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I., graduating in September 1970. Ich served as boat captain, operations officer, and executive officer of a warship during the Vietnam War. After the fall of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975, Ich was captured and imprisoned for six years in a North Vietnamese concentration camp. He escaped with his family in 1981 on a small fishing boat and reached Thailand. He and his wife and son resettled in Hartford later that year. Ich completed his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the University of Bridgeport in 1985. Years later, he earned an MBA at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School. He worked full time as the lead electrical engineer for the Department of Defense (DOD), working on many NASA product lines such as the International Space Station, space suits, and Orion multi-crew vehicle. He also worked on numerous military programs, including the F-14, F-15, F-16 and F-18 fighter jets. For over 20 years, Ich also served as Associate Minister of Central Baptist Church in Hartford. He brought many Vietnamese families to Central Baptist and established the Vietnamese ministry there. He is survived by his wife Hong-Loan, son Kinh-Luan, daughter-in-law Thanh-Tuyen, and grandchildren: Isaac, Isabella, and Gabriella. Calling hours will be held Saturday, December 30 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at Central Baptist Church, 457 Main St., Hartford followed by a funeral service celebrating his life at 11 a.m. in the church. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. Memorial gifts may be made in his memory to Central Baptist Church. Arrangements are being handled by The Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc., www.ahernfuneralhome.com.