Please join us for a livestream of the Vigil Memorial Service for Sonny on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 at 3 p.m. CT.

Son Ngoc Nguyen, 68, passed away peacefully at 12:54 p.m. CT on December 8, 2025 in Houston, Texas. Born in Saigon, Vietnam, on November 6, 1957, he was a cherished son of Tu Van Nguyen and Thanh Thi Nguyen.

He spent his early years in Hanoi and graduated from high school in Saigon before attending the Xi To Seminary for seven years. Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, Son made several escape attempts before successfully reaching Thailand in 1979. In 1980, sponsored by his eldest sister, Tam Tu Tran, he arrived in Houston, Texas, as a refugee and began building his new life. He met his wife, Hong Pham Nguyen, and they were married in 1983. He studied Computer Science at the University of Houston—Downtown and went on to work for EmCare, a healthcare management company, for 20 years.

Son became deeply active within the Vietnamese community in Houston. He served two terms as chairman of the Vietnamese community at St. Justin Martyrs Parish, followed by three consecutive terms on the Parish Pastoral Council. In 2015, Son and his wife Hong joined the Maryknoll Lay Missioners (MKLM) and were subsequently sent to minister in Cochabamba, Bolivia. As lay missioners, their work focused on education and pastoral care for abandoned, abused, and orphaned children with learning disabilities, as well as incarcerated and paroled women. Through their experience, skills, and dedicated efforts, Son and Hong significantly impacted the lives of many in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Son often quoted Mother Teresa, saying, “Not all of us can do great things, but we all can do small things with great love.”

Mission work did not end when they returned home; MKLM believes that “once a missioner, always a missioner.” After four years in Bolivia, Son returned to the U.S. and joined the staff of Maryknoll Lay Missioners as the Director of U.S. Church Relations and Mission Outreach. He served as the liaison officer between MKLM and the U.S. Catholic Church, working with mission offices in Archdioceses and Dioceses across the U.S. to promote mission education and local support.

Son was an extraordinary artist in many forms. He loved his guitars, music, singing, photography, carpentry, and gardening. He was an amazing chef who enjoyed cooking, traveling the world, volunteering, and spending time with his family. He will be remembered for his kindness, wisdom, charitable spirit toward everyone he met, and his unwavering dedication to his family.

He is survived by his wife, Hong Pham Nguyen; his children, Andy Tuan Nguyen, Marzhan Zhakashbayeva, Christine Dan Thanh Nguyen; and his grandchildren, Ainaline Andie Nguyen and Ahmet Andy Nguyen.