Peter Hoang Nguyen, of Concord, died peacefully in his sleep on Monday, December 14, 2020 at the age of 89. Born in Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam in 1931, he entered a Catholic seminary at the age of 11 in order to obtain a formal education and to escape life under the communists who ruled central Vietnam at the time. While in seminary, he acquired fluency in French and English, learned to read music and play the organ, and obtained the Baccalaureate degree. Even though post-Baccalaureate education was rare in Vietnam at the time, he continued on for 2 more years at the University of Saigon. He also continued with the seminary as a teacher of math and other subjects for 10 more years before being drafted for military service. As an artillery officer and a technical expert in firing large cannons, he was stationed in the mountainous region of Quang Ngai. Although he endured several dangerous battlefield situations and one near-death experience, he was fortunate to escape unscathed. During that time, Peter also met and wedded Cecilia, a nurse, in 1964 and had their two children. After 6 years in the military, he was able to apply his language fluency towards working for the US Embassy in Saigon as an administrator and accountant, supporting the education system in Vietnam. Unfortunately, this comfortable life was disrupted by the war. Just before the fall of South Vietnam in 1975, he was forced to abandon all belongings and emigrated with his family to the United States with the help of the American Embassy, settling in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Starting over at the age of 44, he took on manual work in a print shop for minimum wage while attending night school in accounting. He graduated with a cum laude associate degree, but decided to move the family to Wichita, Kansas in 1978 for better employment in the aircraft industry. He spent his remaining employment years at Cessna and Boeing in Wichita, specializing in machine-shop skills and operations of advanced equipment, working second-shift for a slight increase in pay and a slight decrease in noise level. After their retirement in 1995, he and Cecilia volunteered extensively for the Vietnamese Catholic community in Wichita. They also traveled regularly, with focus on the Catholic Holy Sites such as the Vatican, Lourdes, and Fatima. A lifelong learner, Peter read voraciously and even gained new computer skills well past retirement. With the additional time, he also reconnected with music and was often seen at the piano playing and singing his favorite songs. He and Cecilia moved to Concord, MA in 2012 to be closer to their two children who both live in the Boston area. He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Cecilia (Tuyet) Nguyen, and his children John and Rose Nguyen, as well as his grandchildren Gabrielle, David, and Andy. Due to COVID restrictions, a private funeral Mass will be celebrated in Holy Family Parish, Monument Square, Concord Center. Burial will follow at St. Bernard's Cemetery in Concord. Please click here to view the church livestreaming of the Mass on Monday, December 21st at 10:30 am . Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.