Ngo, Hon's Obituary
Hon Ngo passed away on August 8, 2024, at the age of 79.
He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and eldest sibling who is loved by his wife, children, grandchildren, and many brothers and sisters.
His legacy lives on in many ways. He was an entrepreneur who built successful businesses time and time again - first with a paper mill in Vietnam and then thriving in the USA as an independent food distributor to dozens of popular restaurants throughout Pinellas County, Florida, despite having to start all over as a refugee of war.
What his children are most proud of is the legacy of his service to immigrants of all nationalities, as well as his assistance to the US military. During the Vietnam War, Hon served as an interpreter in aid of the US Army. Upon the end of the war, he organized the escape of his family by boat from his country of birth. This boat was the Huey Fong, and like many other refugee-bearing boats, it was turned away from the shores of the country where it landed - in this case Hong Kong. With his business skills and mastery of English, Vietnamese, and many Chinese languages, Hon was among the few selected to represent the nearly 3400 refugees aboard the Huey Fong; in turn he helped to negotiate Hong Kong's acceptance of the request for asylum. If not for Hon's diplomacy, the world might be a lot more bland - as one of the asylum seekers aboard the Huey Fong was the inventor of Sriracha hot sauce.
Prior to starting his food business in the US, he was also a social worker for the state of Florida who aided countless refugees and immigrants as they established their lives in their new country.
And finally, his legacy also lives on through his children and grandchildren, whom he was immensely proud of as they serve their local communities and the welfare of the global population through their work in business, non-profit, and government, including the US military.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of Hon Ngo to any of the following organizations:
Asian Liver Center at Stanford University
https://med.stanford.edu/liver/home/donate.html
Shriners Children's
https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/giving
You might require assistance with these donation sites, as they do allow the option to notify the family via the family's address or email. If so, please call or text one of Hon's children at 650-814-8000 to obtain this info.
Viewing hours will be held at Moss Feaster Funeral Home, 693 South Belcher Rd, Clearwater, FL., on Saturday, August 17, 2024, 10am - 12pm.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Hon Ngo please visit our Sympathy Store.
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