Ban Van Bui

God called Ban Van Bui home, to be reunited with his loving wife in heaven as he entered eternal rest on March 1, 2026. He was surrounded by his brother, nine children, grand & great grand-children, and family members at Mercy One Hospital in West Des Moines, IA. Born on August 14, 1930, in Hai Phong Vietnam, he celebrated his 95th birthday this last August.

Those who knew Ban, his wife Hien and their family, understand the resiliency & love they have. They know the hard decisions that Ban & Hien made to escape Vietnam with their 10 children on April 30, 1975, after the fall of Saigon. They know that Ban was captured by the North Vietnamese Army as his family escaped without him and by the grace of God later reunited with them in Iowa in 1982.

The seven years he spent apart from his family were isolated, lonely, and difficult. He journaled and often remembered old Vietnamese songs that reminded him of his family, a memory of who he was, a hope that the world he left still exists. He wrote the lyrics that he could remember in his journal to cope with the reality that if he were to reunite with his family, it would be in a place filled with uncertainty.

Prayer, a strong faith, and a hope of seeing his wife Hien and their 10 children carried him through these difficult times. When the plane touched down in Des Moines, IA, in 1982, he would begin to put his life back together in the United States with his family. Over the next 44 years, he would watch his family grow to 29 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. Ong (grandpa) will be remembered as a quiet & loving man who always worked hard to provide for his family and would never turn down an opportunity to celebrate a family event, pose for a photo, kiss a grandchild, or sing karaoke.

He leaves behind his children Chap (Hoang) Bui, Phuoc (Dung) Bui, Lanh (Khoa) Bui, Le Nguyen, Dai (Theu) Bui, Joe Bui, Ngoc (Sang) Nguyen, Ve Bui, and Dung “Zoom” (Jodi) Bui. His 29 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. His brother, Gioi Bui and brother-in-law Thin (Thuy) Pham.

Ban was preceded in death by his wife Hien Pham Bui, mother Tep Thi Pham, father Toai Van Bui, brother Cuom Bui, daughter Lien Thi Bich Nguyen “Maria,” son-in-law Thong “Tom” Nguyen, and daughter-in-law Brenda Langstraat Bui.

The family will greet friends from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home; 5400 SW 9th Street, Des Moines. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 9, 2026, at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 612 E 18th Street, Des Moines. Following the funeral service, Ban will be laid to rest at Glendale Cemetery. The Bui family will host a reception back at St. Peter’s Catholic Church immediately following the burial.

Your presence is the only gift we need. Thank you from our hearts.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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