Hoan Hai Nguyen

HANOVER Hoan Hai Nguyen, 100, passed away peacefully of natural causes on Monday, May 25, 2009 at Hanover Hall. He was born on August 19, 1908 in the Thai Binh Province of Vietnam where he was the seventh son among 16 brothers and sisters to parents, Huu Trong Nguyen and Hue Thi Tran. In 1945, he married his late wife Thanh Thi Nguyen, who passed away December of 2004. Mr. Nguyen's strong educational background included fluency in both Vietnamese and Chinese including mastery of their literature, as well as extensive knowledge in Buddhism and Confucianism. He also had a longstanding history of service to his native country, where he was a councilman for the Thai Binh Province for four years. He served in the army of the Republic of Vietnam from 1954 to 1969. Even when he came to the United States with his family in 1975, he continued his contributions towards others. He became a member of Lancaster's Phap Hoa Buddhist Temple, where he was a chairman of the board of directors and president. He also transcribed numerous documents for Buddhist temples both in and out of the state. Mr. Nguyen is survived by his youngest brother, Lieu Trong Nguyen, his 10 biological children, Phu Tri Nguyen, Thanh Thi Ta Nguyen, Nhuan Thi Nguyen, Thuy Thi Nguyen, Minh Quang Nguyen, Nhat Xuan Nguyen, Quang The Nguyen, Nguyet Kuhn, Duc Phuc Nguyen, and Nga Gardner, and four adopted children, Tam Duc Nguyen, Tuong Duc Nguyen, My Duc Nguyen, and Dzung Duc Nguyen. He is also survived by his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, at Panebaker Funeral Home, 311 Broadway, Hanover. A viewing will be from 12 to 1 p.m. Burial will follow in the St. Paul's (Dubs) Lutheran & Reformed Cemetery. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to either the Phap Hoa Buddhist Temple, 202 Cherry Street, Columbia, PA 17512; or the American Heart Society, 140 Roosevelt Ave., Suite 208, York, PA 17401. Expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.panebakerfuneralhome.com