NGUYÊN
Dr. Châu
With deep sadness, we announce the death of our beloved Châu in Montréal on Monday August 18 in his mother's home in Montréal, surrounded by his loving family. Châu was born in 1957 in Hûe, central Vietnam, the ninth of fifteen children of Nhan Nguyên and Kinh Tran.
Educated with Catholic and Confucian values of self-discipline, service, politeness, gentleness and humility, he, together with seven young siblings, escaped Saigon as the South Vietnamese regime was collapsing in the spring of 1975 and migrated to Canada, enduring a perilous journey to a South Korean refugee camp along the way. In Montréal, Châu and his seven siblings joined three older siblings already in Canada.. Hard work and discipline led him to medical school at the University of Toronto where he completed studies in internal medicine, finding time to also chair the University of Toronto Vietnamese Student Association. In1987 Châu married Mary-Frances Scully, also a medical doctor and together they enjoyed six years of practising medicine in New Brunswick after which they moved to St. John's in Newfoundland where Châu served at the Health Science Centre and taught in the Department of Medicine at Memorial University. For a number of years in his 20's, Châu successfully fought a medulloblastoma diagnosed in his final year of residency and went on to develop a distinguished career in medicine until recently when he was diagnosed with a severe neurological illness. In his final years, he fought his illness with the same discipline and bravery that he had approached his life. In November 2013 with his wife Mary-Frances he travelled to Montréal to temporarily live with his beloved sister Yên and access a neuro rehabilitation program. Tragically he was diagnosed with a new aggressive metastatic pancreatic tumour in June which he fought against to the end. Châu led an exemplary life and will be greatly missed by his beloved Mary-Frances, his sons Kevin and Aiden and the members of his very large, loving and devoted family and his many friends. Visitation will be Au Centre funéraire Côte-Des-Neiges, Montréal on Sunday August 24 th from 15 pm to 19 pm. Funeral Mass will be held at 9 am on Monday August 25, 2014 at Saints Martyrs de Vietnam 1420 rue Bélanger Montréal, H2G 1A4.