Memorial service for respected Buddhist leader
- Wednesday, 08 February 2012 19:45
- Lauren McMah
VIETNAMESE New Year celebrations were tinged with sadness last weekend with the death of Vietnamese Buddhist leader Thich Phuoc Hue.
A highly-respected leader of the Buddhist community both at Fairfield and across the country, he died peacefully on January 28.
He was born in Gia Dinh Province in Vietnam in 1922 and became the first Vietnamese resident monk in Australia when he arrived in 1980. The longest serving president of the Buddhist Federation of Australia, he was instrumental in the building of the Phuoc Hue Temple at Wetherill Park and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1995. McMahon Federal Labor MP Chris Bowen extended his sympathy to the Australian Vietnamese community.
“On the numerous occasions when I met with him I found his leadership in the community to be unmatched, providing stability in times of need,” Mr Bowen said.
Funeral services began on Monday and a memorial service will be held at 10.30am today at the temple.
From the Fairfield Advance
