Obituary of Huynh Thanh

Huynh Kiem Thanh, 77, of Estherville, Iowa, passed away Saturday, January 20, 2007, following a brief illness, in his daughter's home in Coralville, Iowa, with his adoring family at his side. The quiet courage that he possessed in life was unwavering to the end. Thanh was born December 13, 1929, in Saigon, Vietnam, the son of Huynh Kiem Chau and Phan Thi Con. Thanh married Ho Thi Ngoc Anh on May 12, 1955 in Saigon. He graduated from the elite National Military Academy in Da Lat, Vietnam, and served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Republic of South Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in April 1975. Thanh escaped with his wife and 11 children to the United States in August of that year, eventually settling in Estherville, Iowa. His was a life fraught with difficult decisions and sacrifices, not fully known to his family by his disciplined demeanor as he wished only to afford them a better life. Thanh is survived by his wife of 51 years, Anh, 11 children and 15 grandchildren. He was an honorable and accomplished man, whose family will always strive to earn his respect. We are grief-stricken at the loss of a cherished father, a beloved husband. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Iowa City Hospice, whose kindness was overwhelming.