Mang Thi Phu

Phu, Mang Thi, age 89, of Richfield, passed away peacefully on August 12, 2025, surrounded by her beloved family. She was born on April 10, 1936, to parents Lai Phu and Ty Nguyen in Binh Tan, Vietnam. On May 22, 1953, she married Quang Nguyen and over the next 20 years, they welcomed 12 children.

Through years of hardship, she was separated from her husband for over a decade due to war and civic oppression in their beloved home country. Six years after the fall of Vietnam, in 1981, her husband and 2 sons escaped and immigrated to America and began the long and arduous sponsorship process for the rest of the family. Despite these immense adversities, Mang remained a fierce protector and guiding light for her family. She singlehandedly raised and kept all her children together, never losing hope that one day they would be reunited as a family.

While raising her family in Vietnam, Mang remained a strong, determined, and resilient mother and entrepreneur. She worked tirelessly at several business ventures to help support her 10 children while awaiting sponsorship to America. In 1991, Mang and 6 of her children were reunited with her husband and family in America. By May of 2010, all the remaining children and their families had successfully immigrated to America and nothing brought more joy to Mang and her husband than to have the family together again.

She was fiercely independent, worked tirelessly to provide, and never asked for more than what was necessary to help those she loved. Her legacy is not only in the family she raised, but in the strength, unity, and love she instilled for generations to come.

Mang loved being home – often a hectic gathering place where a constant flow of visiting friends and family filled the house with warmth, laughter and an abundance of wonderful food. One of Mang's greatest joys was to care for and watch the next generations grow up and thrive. She loved gardening and volunteering to garden each of her children's homes as well.

Mang was preceded in death by her parents, ten siblings, her husband of 59 years, and a son, Hung Nguyen. She is survived by 11 children, 24 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren, and many loving nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

She will be remembered always as a pillar of strength, a devoted mother, and a hero in the truest sense of the word.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, Brooklyn Park Chapel at 7835 Brooklyn Boulevard. The family will greet friends and loved ones from 11:00AM to 1:00PM.