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Thanongchit Sourignamath

Thanongchit “Nong” Sourignamath, 61, of Old Saybrook, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 19, 2023. Nong was born in Luangprabang, Laos, on March 16, 1962, to Bounthanh and the late Chanh Souriyamath.

He migrated to the U.S. in 1980, and landed in Tennessee. Later he moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and then settled in Old Saybrook for the past 41 years. He met his wife, Bounthavy Phommaphavanh, at a refugee camp in Thailand, and after a brief separation, immigrated to America, where he sought to find the love of his life. He discovered she was in Quebec, Canada, and went to meet her. They then wedded in the summer of 1986 in Canada.

Besides his wife Vy, he is survived by his three children, Venithda, Sone, and Say, all of Old Saybrook; his brothers, Sith and Erin Souriyamath of Old Saybrook, and Sinh and Teetee Souriyamath of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania; his sisters and their spouses, Na and Souphone Mangala of Niantic, Nitch and the late Vath Chaluenphone of Old Saybrook, Nu and KP Phrommavanh of Quaker Hill, and Sourin and Greg Beebe of Ivoryton; and his 15 nieces and nephews.

Nong worked as a CNC machinist and started his career at Turbo Products and then at the Lee Company, where he worked for the past 18 years. He took so much pride in his work, as his boss would always say, “He was the only one who made the machines sing.”

Prior to moving to the U.S., he was in a traditional Laotian dancing group (which is where he met his wife). Nong was also an active member of the Laotian Association of Connecticut, Inc. He was an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys football team and loved photography, always taking pictures at every event. He enjoyed watching old western cowboy movies and gardening. Nong lit up every room with his vibrant presence. He was always the life of the party as you could often find him clapping and woo wooo-ing so loud, you couldn’t help but be infected by his cheerful spirit. If you were fortunate enough to be pranked by Nong, you know firsthand how much he loved telling jokes (sometimes at your expense) and making everyone laugh. He was a “jack-of-all-trades,” the family MacGyver, as he was able to fix anything and everything. Nong’s true passion was his family, which meant everything to him. He was the patriarch, always reliable. Willing to do anything for anyone, he never denied anyone assistance no matter how big or small the favor. A loving and devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, he will be dearly missed by all who knew him.