Obituary of Can Ngoc Hoang

Dr. Can N. Hoang, 85 years old, of Marlboro, NJ, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 7, 2019, at Centra State Hospital in Freehold, with his loving family by his side.  Can was born in Hue, Vietnam.  He earned a Doctorate Degree in Oceanography from the University of Sorbonne, Paris, France. After his return to Vietnam, Can was the Director of the Institute of Oceanography in Nha Trang, Vietnam.  He was a leading Congressman in the Assembly of Republic of Vietnam and the Vice-Chancellor of Hoa Hao University, Saigon, Vietnam. 

After the fall of Saigon in 1975 and three years in a reeducation camp, Can, his wife Bichlien, and their four children, escaped Vietnam by boat, and stayed in a Malaysian refugee camp.  The family resettled in the United States, first in Pittsburg, PA, and finally in NJ in 1980.  As a U.S. citizen, Can was very patriotic, and followed politics with a passion.  Can was an active leader in social, cultural and civic activities.  He has been a member of the multi-ethnic Heritage Festival Ball Committee since 1985, was honored as Outstanding Vietnamese Ethnic Leader, and received personal recognition proclamations from the Governor and the state of NJ. He was on the Board of several Vietnamese-American Associations, including the Voter’s League. He was a strong supporter of cultural events celebrating Vietnamese Heritage, and obtained many proclamations from the Governor and the State of New Jersey for special occasions such as, Lunar New Year, King Hung-Vuong Anniversary, and Mid-Autumn Festival.

Can’s favorite hobby is gardening and over the years, his green thumbs have produced delicious pears, apples, grapes, fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers in his backyard. Can enjoyed traveling with his wife to Paris where he spent his student life, visiting other countries in Europe and Asia, going on cruises with friends, and spending time with his loving family and especially his grandchildren. He always displayed a joy for life as expressed by his favorite song “La Vie en Rose”. He enjoyed writing, music, singing, dancing and was an avid fan of tennis and soccer.

Can is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 54 years, Bichlien Hoang, and his loving and dedicated children: daughter Anh Hoang of Irvine, CA; daughter Thu Hoang and husband Tam Nguyen of Springfield, NJ; son Minh Hoang of Marlboro, NJ; son Hai Hoang and wife Irina Kyselova, London, England. He is also survived by four cherished grandsons, Alex Hoang, Eric Hoang, Connor Nguyen and Aiden Nguyen. He also has loving extended family in CA, FL, Europe and Vietnam.  Can lived a full happy life and is forever loved and cherished by family and friends.

Visitations will be on Saturday, Nov 16, 2019, 5PM to 9PM and Sunday, Nov 17, 2019, 10 AM to 1 PM, at Freeman Funeral Home, 344 Route 9 North, Manalapan, NJ 07726. A funeral service will be held at 1PM on Sunday, Nov 17, 2019 at Freeman Funeral Home. Cremation will follow immediately at Holy Cross Burial Park, East Brunswick, NJ.

To send condolences to the family, please visit www.freemanfuneralhomes.com .