MC Herbie

I do not have many nephews, but Herbie easily fills the space for ten. Living in Denver, Herbie was here in Miami for Thanksgiving. Upon hearing the passing of his aunt Marie Rose, Herbie booked the first available flight to Miami. I was looking for a trusted person to MC Marie Rose's service, and there was no one more qualified than him.

Herbie and my daughter VyVy grew up together in Miami. VyVy used to boss him around and even pushed him around like this...


This day, in his handsome 6'3" frame and choking with emotion, Herbie conducted his aunt's service with dignity and eulogized...


Thank you for your presence, and welcome.

Tonight, we are all here to remember the person that Marie Rose Josephine Nghiem-Phu was:

A loving Mother to VyVy and Mac-Long,
A dutiful Spouse of over 40 years to my Uncle Lan,
Eldest Sister to: My Mother Rose, my aunts and uncles Kim-Cuc, Kim-Phuong, Hoang, Huy and Hai,
Aunt to myself and all of her siblings' children,
Caring friend to us all.

Many of you have known my aunt Marie Rose much longer than I. I cannot tell you the stories of her youth. Hopefully many of you can share those memories with our family and with each other tonight, and in the many days to come.

To me, she was someone who watched over me as a child. As such, I have always considered her much more than an aunt, more like a second Mother.

Tonight, we remember the loving and caring person that my aunt Marie Rose was: Mother, Spouse, Sister, Aunt and Friend. We should remember her as she was in the memory of our lives, always. We should feel that if her spirit is watching us now, that she would be filled with joy seeing us here today and knowing that her life played an important part in reuniting our family here in Miami.

Thank you, tata Marie for your part in my life, in keeping us all together and in finding our family a new place to call home.

May you rest in peace.