Du Van Nguyen

Du Van Nguyen passed away unexpectedly at his home on June 22, 2025, at 12:10 a.m.  He was 70 years old.

Du was born on September 8, 1954, in Vietnam.  Before the outbreak of the Vietnam War, he served as a police officer in Saigon.  When the war began, he joined the military as a medic for the Republic of South Vietnam.

Du served with honor and dignity until the U.S. withdrawal from the country.  As he once described it, “I threw my M16, a .45 caliber pistol, and hand grenades into the ocean and boarded a U.S. Navy ship.”  He didn’t know where the ship was headed, or if he would ever see his family again.  He left with only the clothes on his back and a fierce will to survive, knowing that staying behind might have cost him his life.

After a series of stops and processing at U.S. naval bases, Du was received by a sponsoring couple in Arkansas.  They took him grocery shopping and brought him to the trailer he would live in, but he never saw them again.  For over a year, Du worked in a chicken processing plant under conditions that amounted to indentured servitude.  He spoke almost no English and had little hope for a better future.

As stories of the harsh treatment faced by many Vietnamese refugees began to surface, church groups and community leaders across the country stepped in to help.  Among them were Joe and Miriam Keane, who opened their hearts and home to a young Du Nguyen.  They helped him enroll in English classes, find a job, and eventually move into his own apartment.

Du began working at Ridge Auto Parts, first in the warehouse on the evening shift and eventually as a front counter sales associate.  He loved interacting with coworkers and customers, whom he considered friends.  It was rare for Du to leave the house without running into someone he knew, and he always took the time to talk.

He thought so highly of Joe and Miriam that when his son was born during his brief marriage to Lori Bowers, at a time when Joe was in the late stages of leukemia, Du named the baby Joseph in his honor.

Though his marriage to Lori was short, it gave him a beloved son, Joseph Nguyen.

On February 17, 1998, Du married the love of his life, Thao Nguyen.  They made their home on the south side of South Bend and welcomed a daughter, Selena, on February 22, 2000.  Du was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who deeply valued the quiet joys of family life.

Despite the adversity he faced, Du’s kindness, generosity, and patience never wavered.  He was a skilled auto mechanic and handyman, often offering his services free of charge to help friends, neighbors, and even customers, whom he always treated as friends.

Du is survived by his wife Thao Nguyen; daughter Selena Nguyen; son Joseph Nguyen and his wife Maureen Leda; granddaughter Aurora Easton; grandson Matthew Stewart-Hegedus and his fiancé Jillian; and numerous great-grandchildren.  He is also survived by a large extended family in Vietnam, including a daughter he never knew he had, Phương.

Unknown to Du at the time he fled Vietnam, his girlfriend was pregnant.  His daughter Phương was born on January 13, 1976.  The two finally met in October 2022 and worked to make up for lost time with the help of FaceTime.

He was also overjoyed to recently meet his grandson Matthew Stewart-Hegedus, who had been adopted as a baby and only recently found his birth family.

Du was a blessing to all who knew him, a friend from the moment he met you, and a man who touched countless lives with his warmth and resilience.  Through every hardship, he persevered.  He left an indelible mark on everyone he encountered and will be deeply missed.

The family will hold a visitation for friends and loved ones on Friday, June 27, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Saint Joseph Funeral Home, located at 824 South Mayflower Road, South Bend, Indiana 46619.

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