Kimchhan Nuon

On Sunday the 8th of November 2020, our beloved brother, father, uncle, and grandfather, Kimchhan Nuon, passed away at the age of 85.  Kimchhan was born on the 15th of July 1935 in Kampong Khleang Village, Chi Kreng District in Siem Reap Province, Cambodia, to his father Seng Boun Nuon and mother Pram Aing Nuon.

Kimchhan has six siblings.  He is the eldest of the family, followed by his first sister Thomas Nuon Lim, second sister Karen Nuon, third sister Botum Nuon (who passed away during the Khmer Rouge regime), his brother Samuel Nuon, and his youngest sister Pomsen Nuon who passed away in January 2019.

Kimchhan was a very intelligent and educated person.  After he completed high school (Lycee Sisouvath), he received scholarships to study business accounting in Japan and France.  When he returned to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, he was employed by a private company and then a bank in Kampong Som, Sihanoukville Province as a branch manager.

Kimchhan was married to Ms. Chhor Vandy, who was born in Svay Por County, Sangke District, Battambang Province.  Together they had four sons: Karuna, Metta (who passed away in August 2019), Mudita and Opekkha who passed away during the Khmer Rouge regime due to lack of nutrition and starvation.

Kimchhan and his entire family survived the Khmer Rouge ordeal during the period of 1975 - 1979.  He escaped from Cambodia and arrived in Thailand in 1979.  There he stayed in a total of three refugee camps.  The last camp was the Lumpini refugee camp where he stayed for 3 years (due to the illness of his youngest sister) while waiting for his immigration paper work.  He finally arrived in the United States along with his mother Pram, son Metta, and youngest sister Pomsen in 1982.

Kimchhan always valued education.  Two months after his arrival in the United States, he enrolled in evening adult classes and earned his GED in 1984.  He then enrolled at the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College where he studied accounting.  While attending school, he worked for the state government as a translator and at a nursing home in the purchase department as an accounting clerk until he retired in the late 1990s.

Kimchhan had a great love for God and people. He was a very caring, gentle, and kind person.  After his father passed away in the early 1960s, he took cared of his mother and his five siblings.  He made sure that they were all well cared for and attended school.  He continued to be a caring person toward others.  He helped create a Khmer foundation known as Karuna Cambodia where he served as the Board of Director and Treasurer.  Karuna Cambodia helps provide scholarships to Cambodian students and Cambodians who experience hardship in Cambodia. In addition, Kimchhan served as an elder for his beloved Meadowbridge Seventh-Day Adventist Church and taught bible verses to the Cambodian congregation.

Kimchhan is survived by his second wife (Sophanna), his first son Karuna Nuon, grandchildren (Angela, Eric), and his grandson (John) from his second son Metta. He is also survived by his brother Samuel Nuon and two younger sisters (Thomas Lim) and Karen Nuon who lives in Battambang,Cambodia.

Kimchhan left this earth, but he will forever be remembered in our hearts and memories. Someday we all will be reunited in God’s heaven

A graveside service will be held at West Hampton Cemetery, Richmond, VA.