Mrs. Tuyen Thi Kim LeQuach was born on November 18,1941 in Bac Lieu, Vietnam. She went to Heaven on May 26, 2021, at the age of 79.
She is the 8th child of 11 children, daughter of the late Mr. Thu Kiem Quach and Mrs. Hen Thi Tran. She married Pastor Nhon Thanh Le in 1961. Shortly after getting married, she relocated with her husband to Nha Trang for him to attend a Protestant Seminary. A year later, she gave birth to her first child in Gia Dinh. They moved with their newborn son to serve God in Binh Tuy. In 1964, they returned to Saigon where she gave birth to their remaining 6 children. She was a teacher at Thi Nghe primary school.
In early 1975, her husband, Pastor Le, went to study in Hong Kong. He was not allowed to return to Vietnam due to the conclusion of the Vietnam war that ended in April 1975. She was unsure if she or her children would ever see him again. Back in Vietnam, Mrs. Tuyen raised her 7 children, ages 1 to 13 years old. At the end of 1977, immigration papers were approved. She and her 7 children flew to Hong Kong where they were reunited with her husband. During a year of living in Hong Kong, she and her husband recorded Gospel programs and assisted with the Vietnamese refugee churches. At the end of September 1978, the whole family, through the mercy of God, immigrated to the United States, Chicago, Illinois and ultimately settled in Houston, Texas a few months later.
New to America, she changed her job from a primary school teacher to an assembly line factory worker, dropping her teaching pen to hold a soldering iron. Despite her career changes, she was happy and enthusiastic because her joys were with her husband, children, and serving God through church. She quickly got used to her new life, taking care of and raising her children. While in America, they adopted their 8th child. She nurtured and encouraged her children to grow in faith, character, and career paths. At present, she is survived by her husband of 60 years, 8 children, 2 sons-in-law, 5 daughters-in-law, 22 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild, all of whom live in the United States. Among them are pastors, professors, teachers, engineers, accountants, dentists, optometrists, physicians’ associates, pharmacists, and doctors. While struggling with life in a foreign land, she stood by her husband's side and continued to take care of the home, worked full time at the factory, and served the Lord full time. Her agility and vivacity helped her husband build the Vietnamese church in Houston, Texas. Her inviting personality and cheerfulness brought many people to know God. Through her life of faith, she helped guide her children to continue their embark on the path of serving God.
After 27 years of supporting her husband in founding and building the West Memorial Vietnamese Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, she and Pastor Le retired and moved to Dallas, Texas in 2007. She continued serving the church while her husband continued God’s work in the ministry as an interim Pastor for Faith Vietnamese Baptist Church. She and her husband prayed daily, identifying each child by name and for the Vietnamese churches. She also helped in building her son’s church in Plano, TX. Her love for her family is an invisible string that unites her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. She served God not only through the family, but also in the church and was a part of the North American Baptist Union. As Head of the Women's Union, she united Vietnamese Baptist women to encourage, strengthen their faith, participate in missionary work, and assisted in publishing the Magazine of Baptist Women. She is a shining example to her children and to the church. She is the virtuous woman that Proverbs 31:30-31 describes:
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
In 2017, she learned that she had the incurable Lou Gehrig (ALS). Gradually, she lost the ability to walk, then the ability to speak, and ultimately, the ability to eat. Although she was functionally disabled, she was mentally sharp. At times, she used her eyes to spell out each letter, forming short sentences like: "Watch your health" or "love one another".
In the late afternoon hours of Wednesday, May 26, 2021, she began to have exacerbations of shortness of breath. Her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild gathered around her; out of town children connected via video. The family prayed and talked to her. Around 4:30 p.m. her breathing began to weaken, and with all her children present, her earthly life ceased at 5:30 p.m. and she was taken into eternity to be with God. In the sadness of separation and emptiness in the hearts of the family, the hope of a future reunion in heaven with her is a comfort and encouragement for her family and friends.
She finished the race and went home to the Lord to receive her rewards. She is a shining example of a tender and loving wife, mother and a Godly woman. Her legacy is unwavering faith, unfading love, and changing lives. We all look forward to seeing her again on that day, when there is no more suffering, sickness, or death, but only joy and eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The family will receive friends and family for a visitation on Thursday, June 3, 2021, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
A funeral service will be held Friday, June 4, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. Following the service, a procession will make its way to Restland Cemetery, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75243 for a committal service. The service will be livestreamed for viewing at the following link; https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/tuyen-lequach and will also be available to view after the service.