The population of centenarians in the U.S. grew by 50% between 2010-2020, and its growth in Southern California is expected to increase another 50% in the next two decades. Of those that live to 100+, 79% of them are women, so I thought I'd focus on a 109 year old man who lived in Mira Mesa.
Khen Ngo was born on July 4, 1911, and died just short of his 110th birthday in 2021. Longevity runs in his family, as all his siblings lived into their 90's. Khen owned a sewing factory in central Vietnam, then moved to Saigon when the Vietnam war began. When Saigon fell in 1975, the 64 year old Ngo and his entire family fled in a boat to escape the Viet Cong. They moved to the Phillipines, then Guam and finally San Diego in 1985.
Khen considers his biggest accomplishment moving his family from Vietnam to the U.S. This was a difficult task. A lot of people didn't make it. Khen was grandfather to 20 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. He and his wife Sam were married for 67 years.
Ngo credits his physical activity and green and jasmine tea for his longevity. In his youth he was an active soccer player. He would tell you that prayer, activity (still walked whenever he could) in his 100's. He could do everything, according to his children. His memory has been all there.
He was honored by the city of Mira Mesa at age 109 not just for his longevity, but also for his contributions to the community. He died from lung cancer in 2021 after a long life, well lived.
No comments:
Post a Comment