Henry Suy

Henry Suy, 62, passed away on December 3, 2025 after a valiant fight with cancer, surrounded by family.

He was born on September 1, 1963 in Neak Ta Chou village in Samrong District, Battambang Province in Cambodia to Phoung Seng Suy and Kim Luon Chhong. He is the eldest of nine children.

A survivor of the Khmer Rouge, Henry escaped Cambodia in 1983 and spent his adolescent years in Thailand's Khao-I-Dang refugee camp where he taught himself English using the Voice of America Khmer radio news program. He went on to teach his siblings and many others English, even working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as a translator for the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Henry's love for grammar and growing his vocabulary continued throughout his life; he enjoyed reading the dictionary for fun, a habit he kept up even throughout his hospital stays.

Henry immigrated to the United States in 1988 and earned his GED from San Jacinto College in 1989. His first job in the States was working at a Minh egg roll factory near Pasadena. He went on to work with Firestone Tire Company and then as an auto body technician for the Houston METRO. He later established his first donut shop in Pasadena, TX in 1994 and then moved to East Texas in 1996. Outside of work, Henry enjoyed playing guitar and singing in a Cambodian rock band.

He married Sony Rath on July 25, 1992; they were married for 28 years. Together, they have two sons: Eliya Suy and Alexander Suy. The Suy family lived in Carthage, Texas where Henry loved to be at his home, surrounded by his dogs, good food, music, and friends and family.

Henry loved traveling with his family, including brothers, sisters, and their children, going on adventures to Alaska, the Australian Outback, Hawaii, Fiji, and many cruises to Mexico and the Caribbean. He loved karaoke and wearing Hawaiian shirts and fedoras or a trapper hat, often at the same time.

Henry is preceded in death by his sister Our Seng Suy, nephew Brandon Kan, and step-father Kry Tek.

He is survived by his mother Kim Luon; his sons Eliya Suy and Alexander Suy and fiancée Helen Huynh of Oklahoma City, OK; his brother James and Sokanthea Suy of Silsbee, TX; sister Kimly Suy and Ritha Bunurai of Port Lavaca, TX; sister Sengly Suy and Harp Kan of Kerrville, TX; sister Sengkim Suy and Sok Mea Lea of Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia; sister Sony Tek; sister Dany and Khuong Kuy of Portland, TX; and Thy and Somnang Tek of Aransas Pass, TX; and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

The family would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this time.