Mr. Viet Van Nguyen (Joseph), age 76, passed away in the presence of family at Hospice of Lancaster County on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 2100 hours, following a courageous battle with cancer. He was born on April 10, 1934 in the village of Ba Lang, Tinh Gia city, Thanh Hoa province in northern Vietnam to the late Vuot Van Nguyen (Joseph) and Nghia Thi Nguyen (Anna). In 1954, he emigrated with his parents to southern Vietnam and settled in the village of Thanh Hai, Phan Thiet city, Binh Thuan province. From 1958 to 1963, Mr. Nguyen served in the presidential palace's security force for the late President Ngo Dinh Diem. After the political turmoil in 1963, he returned to Phan Thiet city and enlisted in the national police force where he served until 1975. In April of 1975, Mr. Nguyen left Vietnam and immigrated to America in search of freedom. He was sponsored to Chicago, IL where he resided for two years. In 1977, he relocated to Philadelphia and worked for a refrigerator manufacturing company until 1991. In April of 1991, Mr. Nguyen was reunited with his family after many years of separation. The Nguyen family moved to Lancaster in 1992 and has since resided there. Mr. Nguyen was an active member of the Catholic community in Lancaster, the Vietnamese Community Association of Lancaster and the Center for Vietnamese Seniors in Lancaster.

Mr. Viet Nguyen was survived by his wife, Hien Thi Nguyen (Anna) and nine children, five boys and four girls, all of whom are married; sister Tinh Thi Nguyen, brother Chung Vincent Nguyen, brother-in-law, Reverend Hoa Van Nguyen (Joseph) and other brothers- and sisters-in-law. He is further survived by 22 grand children, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Funeral services for Mr. Viet Van Nguyen will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 31, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 501 E. Orange St., Lancaster, PA. Interment will be held at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery. Relatives and friends are welcome at the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home, 414 E. King St., on Saturday, May 29th and Sunday, May 30th from 7-9 p.m for viewing and again at St. Anthony's Church on Monday from 9-10AM. In lieu of donations, flowers will be accepted by the Nguyen family. To send an online condolence, please visit SnyderFuneralHome.com