My Ngoc Thi Nguyen

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8/18/1957 – 4/30/2022

My Ngoc Nguyen, age 64, went home to be with her Heavenly Father on Saturday, April 30, 2022. She passed away at home during a group prayer of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, surrounded by family and friends, as was her wish, following her struggle against breast cancer. She was preceded in death by her father My Hao Nguyen and brothers My Phuoc and My Anh. She is survived by her husband of 30 years, Hac Van Nguyen, mother Khen Thi Nguyen, siblings Thi My Hanh, Thi My Tham, My Duc, My Dung, My Hoa and My Van, children An Thien Nguyen, Huong Thien and her husband Tom Joseph Haley, and her grandchild Quynh Richard Haley.

My Ngoc was born in Ben Tre, Vietnam, before moving to Saigon at age 10. There she later met and wed her husband and had her first child, her daughter Huong in March of 1995. Ngoc and her family moved to Lansing, Michigan in December of 1995, where she had her second child, her son An in August of 1997, and spent the remainder of her life in Lansing.

My Ngoc was active in the Vietnamese Catholic parish St. Andrew Dung Lac, where she volunteered with the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể Việt Nam), helped weekly with cooking food for the parish community, was a member of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers (Hội Các Bà Mẹ Công Giáo), taught preschool catechism on Sunday mornings, and helped count church donations weekly after every Sunday mass. She enjoyed gardening and growing fresh vegetables, taking care of house plants (she was especially happy when any of them bloomed), grocery shopping with friends and family, finding deals in thrift and department stores (especially clearance and sale items), cooking and learning or trying new recipes for family, praying and learning more about her faith in bible study classes and daily prayer groups, listening to Vietnamese Christian music, writing prayers on random pieces of paper that were scattered throughout the house, collecting and showcasing Catholic artwork and artifacts, and most especially she loved being a mother.

It was easy for her to smile and laugh and make friends, even with language barriers. She loved to help others whenever and as often as she could, and she loved making other people feel loved, supported, and happy, even when she didn’t feel those things herself. When Huong and An were in elementary school she baby sat babies and children in her home, which was the job that she was most proud of. She loved to teach the children as well. Her second and most recent job was janitorial work, which she found a way to enjoy as well by saying hi and making friends with people in the offices who worked late, finding gems and saving dying plants in office trash bins to take home, and being complimented by how well of a job she did cleaning. She was extremely empathetic and thoughtful and had a big, radiant smile that would light up a room. She never hesitated to wave hello and smile at others, even strangers, despite many times being ignored. She tried her best to learn English and communicate with others, which she did successfully through love. She was happiest spending time with her family. She will be deeply missed, but her spirit and love will live on through the lives that she touched.

On Friday, May 6, open visitation will be from 12-5 PM followed by Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể Việt Nam) led prayer service 5-6 PM, Confraternity of Christian Mothers (Hội Các Bà Mẹ Công Giáo), led prayer service 6-7 PM, and parish led service 7-8 PM at Estes-Leadley Greater Lansing Chapel, 325 W. Washtenaw St., Lansing, MI 48933. A final visitation will be held at 9:00 a.m. and Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, at St. Andrew Dung-Lac Catholic Church, 1611 Old Oakland Ave., Lansing, MI 48915 celebrated by Father Joseph Kim and assisted by Father Tom Nguyen from Detroit, Father Bang Cong Tran from Chicago, and Father John Tuyen Tran from Saginaw. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Lansing.

In lieu of flowers, My Ngoc Thi Nguyen requested mass intentions. Donations can also be made through An, Huong, or Tom to the Vietnamese Catholic Women’s shelter in Saigon, Vietnam, which is run by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. The shelter was our family’s home before it was donated to the nuns when our family moved to the United States.