Reverend Thanh Van Le of Dorchester died on November 3, 2021 at his home, he was 68 years old.

Thanh was born on 22/12/1952 in Ben Tre, Vietnam. He came from a godly family and is the second child out of ten.

He was called into the ministry in his late teens and attended the Christian and Missionary Alliance Theological Seminary from 1969-74 in Nha Trang, Vietnam. In one of his internships in a church at Can Tho, Hau Gian; he noticed a young lady with long curly hair, standing by the Mekong river who was a member of that church. He did not say anything to her because he was in school with her older brother, Rev. Vuong Hung Nguyen.

In 1973, he asked that girl’s parents for her hand in marriage. In God’s perfect timing, she was called into the ministry a year prior. They got married on August 21, 1973 and just celebrated 48th years of marriage in their home in Boston.

He served from 1974-1984 in the church of Phung Hiep, Hau giang and An Hoa, Rach Gia, Kien Giang. Thanh and Lan had two children, Xuan in 1978, and Duy in 1982.

In the summer of 1984, Rev Thanh and his family escaped Vietnam with a group of people by boat, but his reason was because of religious persecution. The Greek ship saved his family and they stayed in Singapore for 3 months. After that they decided to go to Athens, Greece. They served the small Vietnamese community there alongside the American missionaries up to 1989. His family was sponsored by the Christian and Missionary Alliance to go to Boston, Ma to serve as the first official pastor of the Vietnamese Christian and Missionary Church of Boston and the first in the New England area. Rev Thanh was able to help expand the Vietnamese churches in Worcester and Springfield, MA. In addition to the Burlington CMA church, too. In 1991, they had their third child, Ruth Thanh Vi. He lived a full life of ministry, balanced with family time as an involved father and grandfather to Xuan and Binh’s three kids.

Due to his prostate cancer diagnosis in 2015, he retired early. But he continued to be a mentor for the pastors in the region and was asked to be guest speakers of many churches throughout the US. His health declined rapidly since June 2021 and then was admitted in the ICU in August; but he was still very much alert, so he requested to have his care under at home hospice. He spent his last 13 months with friends and families visiting him weekly. He went with the Lord on the night of November 3, 2021 surrounded by his family.

He is survived by his wife, Xuan Lan Nguyen; their three children and families: Thanh Xuan and Binh Bui with Hannah, Kaleb, and Levi; Thanh Duy; and Ruth Thanh Vi and Matthew Bui.

Rev Thanh wished to donate the love gifts from his funeral to the CMA Theological School and other mission organizations.

Funeral Service will be on Monday November 8, 2021 at 10:00am in Calvary Baptist Church, 286 Ashmont Street, Dorchester. Visitation will follow at 11:00 am-12:00 pm. Interment in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Dorchester. (Masks are required City of Boston Mandate)