Ky Dao, Vietnamese refugee

Ky Dao, 84, father of the pastor of the Vietnamese Christian and Missionary Alliance in Philadelphia, died of Alzheimer's disease Jan. 15 at his home in the Juniata Park section of Philadelphia.

In March, Mr. Dao and his wife, Ngoc, would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Mr. Dao was a wealthy man who lost everything when he and his family had to flee ahead of the Communist takeover of South Vietnam in 1975, said a daughter-in-law, Hong-An.

Though he had no university education, she said, he owned two pharmacies, one in Pleiku and one in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City.

When Mr. Dao and his wife fled, they took six of their eight children, leaving behind their two oldest sons.

The family "must leave everything behind," his daughter-in-law said. They "left with empty hands."

The Daos made their way to Guam and then California before arriving in Lancaster later in 1975. There, Mr. Dao worked for a clothes manufacturer until he retired in 1987.

"In those 12 years," his daughter-in-law said, "he raised his six younger children. All of them graduated from universities."

Eventually, the two oldest sons joined the family.

Hong-An's husband, the Rev. Tien Dao, is pastor of the Vietnamese Alliance church. The second clergyman to lead the Philadelphia congregation, he founded its second church at 1020 S. 10th St.

Besides his wife and son, Mr. Dao is survived by sons Dan, Dung, Hai and Tuan; daughters Kim-Anh Nguyen, Thu-Ha and Thu-Van; and 17 grandchildren.

Friends may call after 7 p.m. today and after 8:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Vietnamese Alliance church, 931-939 E. Lycoming St., Juniata Park, where a funeral will begin at 9 a.m. Burial will be in Conestoga Memorial Park, Lancaster.