Compiled and written by David R. Schleper, 2022
Anderson Nguyen was born in St. Paul in September 1964, son of Tu Van Nguyen and Hoanh Thi Nguyen.
Anderson grew up in St. Paul, and he married Tuyet T. Cao. They had four children: Michelle Cao, Mimi Cao, Vicki Cao, and Mary Nguyen.
Anderson and his family were Buddhist.
Buddhism is the world’s fourth-largest religion, with over 470 million adherents. It originated in India, though it has largely been supplanted by Hinduism, and is still widely practiced throughout Asia.
Many people are drawn to Buddhism because of its emphasis on self-reflection. Its focus isn’t on a God or deity. Instead, followers strive to achieve a state of enlightenment. Buddhists believe that enlightenment cannot be achieved in a single lifetime. They believe in samsara, which is a cycle of death and rebirth. When someone dies, the energy within them doesn’t die with them. It just passes into another form. Only by achieving enlightenment can you escape that cycle.
While living in Minnesota, Anderson often learned of the Vietnamese rituals at the temple. The smell of incense and firecrackers, the bright yellows and pinks, the red envelopes, the altars adorned with fresh flowers and fruit—all are signs that Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, has arrived. For many Vietnamese, Tet is one of the most joyous events of the year. People look toward the future but also remember the past. More than a celebration of the new year, it is a celebration within the household of family values, and in Buddhist temples people gather for festivals held to enjoy specially prepared dishes, watch performances by popular singers and troupes of lion dancers, and experience the excitement that explodes on the first day of the new year, according to Allison Truitt in an article, “Offerings to Kings and Buddha: Vietnamese Ritual Activities” at Chua Bo De.
Anderson was a loving husband, father, son, and brother. A hardworking man, Anderson worked as a chef and shared those talents at home as well. He cooked the best food ever, especially seafood and crab. His happiest moments were with his family—cooking for them, having family dinners, and grill outs. Anderson loved his family deeply, including his cats Baku and Dior.
No matter what, Anderson was the life of the party. He would socialize, dance, sing karaoke, and make others laugh with his sense of humor. Anderson enjoyed traveling, playing cards, watching football, maintaining his cars, and taking bike rides. He also had great fashion sense.
When he was. 53, Anderson Nguyen, who lived in Shakopee, passed away on Monday, July 19, 2021.
Anderson had a final viewing and traditional Buddhist prayers on July 24, 2021, at Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation at 833 South Marschall Road in Shakopee.