Kevin Nguon Ha: Honoring His Life and Legacy

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

—Revelation 21:4

Yesterday we lost a brother, cousin, son, friend and beautiful person, Kevin Nguon Ha.

We would like to take a moment to share a tribute to Kevin and his incredible journey.

He came to this country alone at 15 with nothing but determination and a dream. He sacrificed his childhood and being close to his family for a chance to make theirs better. Kevin had to work odd jobs, put himself through school and eventually received his PhD in mechanical engineering—an admirable achievement for anyone let alone a kid from rural Vietnam who was unfamiliar with the land, language and culture. He took pride in doing it himself and with 17 years of hard work, he did just that—a true testament to his unwavering spirit. In December, he accepted a faculty position at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in North Dakota and was well on his way to a better future for himself, but more importantly, to Kevin, was the future of his parents and brother. He loved them deeply and wanted nothing more than to give them the life they deserved.

Unfortunately, Kevin’s journey ended abruptly and too soon by a tragic accident. Now in honor of his memory and the many lives he touched, we are asking for your support during this difficult time. Kevin loved no one more in this world than his mom and we would like to help him live out his dream of providing for her. Relatives are coming together to provide expenses to cover the costs of flying his parents (from Vietnam) to attend his funeral, bringing his remains from North Dakota to his home in Vietnam, and any unforeseen funeral expenses. However, we need your help in fulfilling Kevin’s dream of providing for his family—a dream he made the ultimate sacrifice for. All donations here will be given directly to his family on Kevin’s behalf.

We thank you for your generosity and prayers during this time and ask that you continue to pray for Kevin’s mom. There is no heartache worse than the heartache of losing a child.