Ricky Thy Bun Dien

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We celebrate the extraordinary life of Bun Thy Dien, also known as Ricky, who passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Intermountain Health Logan Regional Hospital. He was surrounded by family and close friends.

Bun Thy was born on May 1, 1954, in a small countryside village in South Vietnam. His early upbringing was shaped by the close bonds of community, a tight-knit family structure, and the philosophical teachings and foundational values of Cambodian Buddhism.

While the outbreak of civil war and conflict prevented him from pursuing a formal education, Bun Thy acquired a profound wisdom shaped not by books, but by life itself. Through faith, humility, and dedication, he gained insight that no classroom could teach. Guided by the principles of Cambodian Buddhism, he developed a quiet strength and deep compassion that would sustain him through his greatest trials.

During one of the darkest chapters in human history, the Khmer Rouge genocide of 1975 to 1979 claimed the lives of more than two million Cambodians as Pol Pot's brutal regime sought to remake the country into an agrarian society. For Bun Thy, this was not a distant historical event—it was a piece of world history he lived through. He witnessed firsthand the cruelty, suffering, and loss that devastated an entire nation.

As a young man, he was forced into harrowing labor camps where each day was a desperate struggle for survival. Under the relentless heat of the Cambodian sun, he spent countless hours hauling heavy rocks and performing backbreaking labor while subsisting on little more than a bowl of plain white rice porridge a day. He endured years of starvation, disease, exhaustion, and the constant threat of death. Among the most painful memories he carried throughout his life was the heartbreaking duty of burying a close friend and fellow campmate who succumbed to those severe conditions.

Though Bun Thy survived, he lost many friends, family members, and fellow countrymen to war, famine, and political violence. Yet despite this unimaginable tragedy, he refused to surrender to despair. The suffering he endured never hardened his heart; instead, it forged in him an extraordinary resilience, a deep appreciation for life, and a lifelong commitment to helping others.

After surviving the terror of the Khmer Rouge regime, Bun Thy found sanctuary at a refugee camp along the Cambodia–Thailand border. For nearly two years, enduring the harsh conditions and uncertainties of the refugee camp, he devoted himself to helping surviving family members, friends, and fellow countrymen find safety, hope, and a path toward freedom. His compassion and selflessness provided comfort and encouragement to many during one of the most difficult periods of their lives.

On November 23, 1981, seeking peace, freedom, and the opportunity for a better future, Bun Thy immigrated to the United States and settled in the San Gabriel Valley, an ethnic enclave east of downtown Los Angeles that became home to the largest concentration of immigrants from East Asia. He arrived carrying nothing but the clothes on his back and a single, weathered suitcase containing the fractured remnants of his past. He found refuge and a new start to call home in a local Buddhist temple in Southern California. By day, he volunteered at an immigration center, where he acted as liaison, translator, and coordinator for families seeking emergency immigration status in America. His work ethic eventually led him to transition to a full time position at the immigration center where he became devoted to ensuring the remaining members of his family could safely immigrate to the states, seek refuge, and rebuild their lives as he did. Through sacrifice, perseverance, and tireless hard work, he transformed tragedy into opportunity, building a new life of dignity and purpose from the ground up in the country he proudly called home. In doing so, he opened doors for his family to join him in this land of freedom. The opportunities he secured for his children and grandchildren once seemed beyond imagination, truly embodying the spirit of the great American dream.

In 1985, Bun Thy built a family with his first wife where they welcomed three children – Steven Dien, Peter Dien, and Monica Dien and they resided in the suburbs of Los Angeles in the early 90’s. While life in America brought new opportunities – it was not without its challenges. Bun Thy later relocated with both of his young sons in 1997 to Utah in order to sustain his family. In 1998, he married Chanda Dien, where they both welcomed two additional sons, Alex and Chris Dien. For more than two decades, Bun Thy worked through the exhausting demands of graveyard shifts at Pepperidge Farm's factory in northern Utah, providing for his family through honest labor and a sense of duty. Despite his long battle with diabetes and chronic arthritis throughout much of his life, he rarely complained and never used his physical circumstances as an excuse. Instead, he met each day with silent determination, gratitude, and an unshakable work ethic. No matter the obstacles placed before him, he continued moving forward with dignity and perseverance. Through his example, he taught his children the values of hard work, personal responsibility, resilience, integrity, and empathy towards the less fortunate. To those who knew him best, he was one of the hardest-working men they had ever known.

Bun Thy's greatest pride and accomplishment was his family. He found immense joy in watching his children and grandchildren grow into good human beings and productive members of society, and he treasured every single moment spent with those he loved. He loved his wife, Chanda, deeply, and together, they spent the latter years of their retirement as best friends who shared inside jokes, enjoyed cooking together, and simply lit up in each other’s company.

Outside of work and family, Bun Thy found joy in life's simple pleasures. He loved spending time with family and friends, whether singing karaoke, sharing stories, or gathering for celebrations. He enjoyed fishing in Utah's beautiful lakes and fresh waters, finding peace and solace in nature. He also had a passion for photography and videography and took great pride in capturing the milestones and memories of his family and friends. Bun Thy a devoted fan of American football, enjoyed working in his garden, and found deep fulfillment in volunteering within Utah's Cambodian Buddhist community. Through his hobbies and acts of service, he made lasting friendships and touched many hearts.

Bun Thy is survived by his beloved wife, Chanda Dien; his daughter, Monica Dien; his sons, Steven Dien, Peter Dien, Alexander Dien, and Christopher Dien; and his precious granddaughters, Jane Ballesteros and Emerson Ballesteros. He is also survived by his father, who at 99 years of age remains a living monument to the family's resilience, as well as three brothers and two sisters who carry his memory forward.

Bun Thy moved through this world treating every person he met with genuine kindness, respect, and dignity regardless of their background. From surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide to becoming a devoted husband, loving father, cherished grandfather, and proud American, he lived with purpose, sacrifice, and grace. His legacy remains a beautiful testament to the incredible strength of the human spirit, proving that no amount of unimaginable suffering can ever extinguish a life anchored in God, faith, community, and love.

Funeral and memorial services for Bun Thy Dien will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. MT at Nelson Funeral Home in Logan, UT.