Bach Tong Duong

Bach Lien Tong Duong,72, ofGainesville, FL, passed away onApril 8, 2021inGainesville.Lienwas born inLongXuyen, VietnamtoHoanVan Tong and HueThiNguyenon May 1, 1948. Shegraduated in 1967 fromThoaiNgocHauhigh school in LongXuyen.She escaped Vietnam with her sisters following the war and arrived in the U.S. in 1975. In 1976, she and her sisters openedGainesville'sfirst ever Vietnameserestaurant, Inn of the White Lotus, tohelpthe sistersget through college. Sheearned aB.S.inComputer Engineeringfromthe University of Floridain 1984 and started a careeras aComputer/I.T. Analystfor the Gainesville Sunand theUF'sInfirmary. She retired from UF in 2015.Her passions included cooking Vietnamese cuisine and helping to develop the Vietnamese community in Gainesville.Lienwas part of a team that created and taught UF's first Vietnamese language course. She also spearheaded the annual Pho Fundraiser in support of UF'sVietnamese Student Organization for over 30 years. In her last few years, Lien's final legacy would be to help establishthe Amitabha Buddhist Association, aBuddhisttemple in Gainesville.Shewaspreceded in death by hermother HueThiNguyen (1957), herfatherHoanVan Tong (1995) and her stepmother HuongThoNgo (2004).Lienis survived byher husband Dr. Anh Hoang Duong, son Long Hoang Duong (Isabel), of Gainesville,daughterHuong Duong (Vince)ofMarinaCA, sistersThuyTongCarroll (Edward), Lan Tong Barlow (Donald) of Gainesville, AmNgocNguyen (Hoang) of High Springs,DuyenMyTong(Thanh) ofAustin, TX,OanhHoang Nguyen (Sieu)of Santa Ana, CA,brotherLiemHieuTong of Gainesville, andthree grandchildren, AndreVincent (15), Belen Thanh(9)and Paz Maria Lien(5).Funeral service will be held onApril 14, 2021from 9:00am to 1:00pmat Forest Meadows Funeral Home, 725 NW 23rd Ave, Gainesville, FL. Burialwillimmediatelyfollow atForest Meadows Cemetery at3700 SE Hawthorne Rd, Gainesville, FL.In lieu of flowers,collected donations willbeforwarded tonot-for-profits that she favored.Condolences may be left inBach Lien Tong Duong'sguestbookwww.forestmeadowsfh.comArrangementsare under the care ofForest Meadows FuneralHome,725 NW 23rdAve, Gainesville,Fl. 32609352-378-2528. Funeral Home Forest Meadows Funeral Home 725 NW 23rd Avenue Gainsville FL - 32609 US 352-378-2528