Obituary of Kiet Quoc Huynh

On Friday, April 16th 2021, Kiet Quoc Huynh, a loving husband, father of three, and beloved friend passed away at the age of 82. Kiet was born on June 11, 1938 in Binh Phong Thanh Village, South Vietnam. He and his older brother Nhu were raised in the countryside by their single mother. Against all odds, Kiet managed to earn a degree in pharmacy in 1969. In 1970 he married Anh Tu Du and they had their first daughter Kim Phong in 1973. Kiet served as a first lieutenant in the South Vietnam Army Medical Corps until 1975 when he was forced into re-education (hard labor) camp after the North won the Vietnam war. He spent 31 months away from his daughter Kim and pregnant wife who was only able to visit him once 18 months in. At the time of his release his second daughter was 2 and a half years old. In 1979 Kiet took his family and fled Vietnam by boat after the fall of Saigon seeking a better life for his family. Heartbreakingly during the journey Kiet and Anh lost their youngest daughter. They arrived to Malaysia after an extremely difficult 4 days at sea where the Red Cross was helping to pair families with sponsors. Kiet and his family were notified that they were being sponsored by the Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Mahwah, NJ where they would start their new lives in America. Kiet started working at the Bergen County Police Academy as a janitor, then at Ciba-Giegy (now Novartis) as a Scientist where he met many of his lifelong friends, including his best friend Ken Ward. Always trying to provide his family with the best life possible he started a watch business in 1981 in addition to working full time until he retired in 1996. After retiring from Novartis he moved with Anh, Nancy and David to Fremont, CA in 1999. He kept himself busy by teaching himself Spanish and Tagalog so he could connect with his customers at the Berryessa Fleamarket in San Jose, CA. He finally closed his watch business in 2005 and remained active in his community in San Jose until relocating back to NJ to be with his children and grandchildren in 2010. Kiet stayed youthful by finding joy surrounded by friends, playing Mah Jong and slots at the casino. Kiet had a charismatic personality that was magnetic, always finding a way to make people laugh and making new friends everywhere he went. His desire to connect with people was exemplified in his ability to speak many languages. He had an unwavering personality and never hesitated to stand up for what he felt was right, and to help the people around him who needed it. His resilience enabled him to build a comfortable life for his family after coming to America with just the clothes on his back. Despite his many hardships, he would often speak about being lucky and to being extremely grateful for the life he lived. Kiet always found a way to be positive and persevere. As a professor, Kiet was a natural teacher. His genuine care of people fostered his passion for teaching as he openly shared his years of wisdom in hopes of helping others. He had a special way of relating with people. During his travels he’d interact with locals, and found ways to connect with people that was rare. It was common to find Kiet talking to strangers he had just met as if they had been lifelong friends. Kiet lived a life full of compassion and generosity to those in need and instilled the same values in his children. He is survived by his wife Anh, his three children, Kim, Nancy and David, his Brother Nhu Huynh, and four grandchildren. A visitation service will be held on Saturday, April 24th, 2021 at the Burroughs Kohr & Dangler's Funeral home on 106 Main St, Madison, NJ 07940 at 11 o’clock a.m. to 1 o'clock p.m. In addition, we will be streaming the service via Zoom. Details will be passed along via family and friends. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for donations to be sent to St. Jude's or Red Cross in honor of Kiet’s memory.