Margarita Thi Avery
Born on June 9, 1952 in Gò Công, VietnamPassed on January 31, 2026 in Melbourne, Florida
Margarita Thi Avery of Kaukauna, WI, passed away peacefully on January 31st at the age of 73 surrounded by her family, after fighting a short, but courageous battle with cancer. She was born on June 9th, 1952 to Tot Van Nguyen and Dang Thi Tran in Gò Công, Vietnam.
After 7 years living together, Margarita married Daniel Avery in 2000 at Montego Bay, Jamaica and they shared another 25 wonderful years together. Margarita enjoyed traveling in the RV, trips with the Harley-Davidson, long walks with her dog Frankie, singing karaoke in Vietnamese, playing golf with good friends and watching the Green Bay Packers play football; her favorite being Brett Farve. Margarita was also known for her playful spirit, her quiet strength, her kind heart and her incredibly strong faith in God.
Margarita came to the United States after fleeing Vietnam on a United States Air Force cargo plane during the fall of Saigon in 1975 with her ex-husband, Bon. After resettling in America, with a pivotal role from her sponsor, Jim Hacksma, Margarita and Bon built a meaningful life for their family in Houston; mostly through hard work, determination and often at the expense of juggling 2 or 3 jobs at a time. After earning her associate degree in electronics technology, graduating with a 3.76 GPA, while working full-time at Compaq Computers, she went on to sponsor the remainder of her immediate family with the exception of her brother, so they could start new lives in United States as well. Margarita later moved to Wisconsin in 1992 as a single mother with her two daughters after separating from and later divorcing Bon. She continued to work in the electronics industry, working first at Pensar Corporation as an electronic technician where she met and married Dan, and later at Miller Electric where she worked another 20 years as a technician before retiring in 2020.
She is survived by her loving husband, Daniel Avery; daughter Jessica Mitchell and granddaughter, Elena Pham; daughter Margaret Nguyen and her husband Jay Knutson. She also leaves behind her brothers, Long Nhi Nguyen and Hoang Mai Nguyen, and sisters, Chau Thi Nguyen and Sety Pho Nguyen. She is further survived by sisters-in-law Nancy (Tim) McNeil and Terri (David) Andrews and by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and beloved friends.
Funeral Mass will be held in Melbourne, FL at Ascension Catholic Church, 2950 N Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne, FL. on February 21st at 10:00 a.m. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held by family at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church in Little Chute, Wisconsin in the Fellowship Hall on August 22nd from 11am until 3pm. Burial will be at will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery on 09/04/2026 at 2:00PM.
Fort Snelling National Cemetery
7601 34th Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55450
