Tuyet (nee Nguyễn) Leser, 77, of Munster, IN, passed away on the morning of June 21, 2026, at St. Anthony Majestic nursing home in Crown Point, Indiana. Tuyet was born on October 19, 1948, in Đức Phổ, Vietnam. She was the second-born and oldest living child of her parents, and would soon be joined by three younger brothers, whom she loved and looked out for her entire life. Tuyet’s childhood was one marked by natural beauty, strong traditions, and a large and loving extended family. However, growing up in an occupied (and later, war-torn) country was not always easy, and Tuyet endured harrowing experiences of sleeping in underground tunnels to avoid bombs and gunfire. These experiences no doubt contributed to her supreme strength, her fighting spirit, and her intense devotion to her family on both sides of the globe.

After high school, Tuyet worked at the Post Exchange for the U.S. military in Cam Ranh Bay. As fate would have it, she was placed in a department that sold cameras, which is how she met Robert Leser, a private in the U.S. Army and photography enthusiast. Robert and Tuyet fell in love and were married on May 29, 1969, in a Catholic ceremony in Saigon. After two years in Saigon, Tuyet and Robert moved to Robert’s hometown–the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago. She gave birth to two daughters, Susan in 1971 and Kathleen in 1972; later, in 1979, she gave birth to a son, Thomas. Tuyet was passionate in her roles as wife, mother, and homemaker. She loved sewing outfits for herself and her children and was an amazing cook. Already skilled at making tasty Vietnamese dishes, such as Gỏi Cuốn (spring rolls) and Bánh Xèo, Tuyet learned how to make a variety of dishes and desserts not common to her homeland, including a boundless variety of cookies and cakes.

Tuyet loved visiting family in Vietnam, finally returning in the mid-1990s once travel restrictions eased. By then, Tuyet had been a U.S. citizen for over two decades, having undergone several years of study to pass her citizenship test. Although a homebody by nature, she enjoyed attending Mass, shopping at Vietnamese stores in Chicago’s north side, going to the beach, playing slots at the casino, and traveling to Florida to escape the Chicago winters, all with her husband Robert as her constant companion. But in the last sixteen years of her life, Tuyet’s greatest joy came from spending time with her three grandsons, Jonah, Locke, and Michael. Nothing motivated Tuyet to leave her house quicker than Michael’s eagerness to gather the family at his favorite northwest Indiana restaurant while visiting from Florida.

Everyone who met Tuyet was struck by her sweetness and gentle wisdom. She was the beating heart of her family, and her presence will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Tuyet was preceded in death by her father, Nguyễn Quốc, mother, Nguyễn Thị Diệu, brothers Nguyễn Quang and Nguyễn Thọ, and grandchild, August Leser.

She is survived by Robert Leser, her husband of 57 years, daughter Susan Leser (grandson Michael), daughter Kathleen Gordon and son-in-law Michael Gordon, son Thomas Leser and daughter-in-law Becky Leser (grandsons Johan and Locke). She is also survived by her brother Nguyễn Thanh (Nguyễn Liễu), and many nieces and nephews, including Chris Leser, Patrick Leser, Brian Leser, Jr., and Nguyễn Thành Vương Bảo.

To send flowers to the family or place a tree in memory of Tuyet Leser, please visit our Tribute Store.