Tribute from Tony and Wanda Lim

We were deeply saddened when Ann messaged me about Nguu’s passing, 10 days ago. I thought that he was on his way to recovery from surgery. Please accept our deepest condolences for your loss.

Nguu was very special to me. Though we only have few conversations, I always felt that he was my true friend probably because of our love of agriculture and just the chemistry between us.

The day Ann told me about the sad news, I was meaning to send you an e-mail to show Nguu a photo of how I successfully was able to grow the butterfly pea (clitoria ternatea) seeds that he gave me when we had that wonderful lunch with you and Tessie in January of last year. (I have attached the photo here.) I also sent my sister in Virginia ( I think you know her from UPHS days, she was a year ahead of you.) another plant that I grew from Nguu’s seeds. She was very ecstatic about it.

I donated platelets at our local Red Cross last Monday just to honor Nguu. It was a 3 hour event with two hours hooked up to an apheresis machine. All the while during the 2-hour procedure, I was remembering Nguu, how we could be more close friends and had more conversations in spite of the distance. And I was wishing that we’d see each other again when you visit LeMai in Indiana. Platelets are important for patients like Nguu and my sister too during surgery or chemo therapy. Though he wouldn’t benefit from my donation, I was happy and joyful to have honored Nguu, at least.

Elvie, though he is gone, we should also celebrate his life - a life meaningfully and beautifully lived. I was telling some of my friends here and there that I have a friend who could solve some of the effects of climate change to our rice production. I had a conversation with Nguu and he sent me a paper on it, about one aspect of his work at FAO on growing rice on salinized water which is becoming a problem in the Philippines and elsewhere too. He really made several significant contributions.

We’ll visit him at Himlayan when this pandemic is over and are able to travel again. If you happen to travel to visit Le Mai, let’s get together then. We are still in Ohio probably for two more years until the housing market stabilized. But even if we move to Massachusetts, we would like you to visit us