The late Las Keth was 87 and a resident of Long Beach, CA. He passed away peacefully on January 27, 2007 at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Before his last breath, he was surrounded by his children, their spouses, his loving grandchildren, brother, nieces, nephews and his wife. He was a Buddhist monk and a farmer, business man and a great leader with a multi-linguistic ability.

Mr. Keth was the late husband of Nhim Kong, with whom they had 12 children together. Eight of the twelve children survive. He was born in Kork Khmom village, Battambang province, Cambodia on March 2, 1921 to parents Mrs. Be Pen and Mr. Chang Keth (former Deputy Mayor of Khum Kork Khmom, Battambang, Cambodia). He attended Buddhist temple school at a young age and ordained as a Buddhist monk until he turned 20 years old. He came to the United States of America as a refugee in 1984 and lived in Holyoke, Massachusetts for six years, then moved to Long Beach, California.

Mr. Keth is survived by his wife, Moeun Tim, eight children: Seney L. Chang and Pounlik Chang of Providence; Luon Chang in Long Beach; Len, Koy and Leng Chang in Cambodia; Lux Chang(aka Mensorn Kong) in Montréal, PQ Canada; Sandy L. Saing in Boston; 29 grandchildren; two siblings: Deng Keth in Long Beach, and Doeung Keth in Cambodia. To honor and to pay a high respect of him, his grandson, Darin Bondith Chheng, Junior at Classical High School-Providence, was ordained as a Buddhist Monk (Nian). Mr. Keth will be missed and will always be remembered as a proud father and respectful husband.

A funeral service was held following by cremation at Hunter Perez-Mortuary, Long Beach, CA on February 1, 2007. His ashes will be brought to Providence, where his children and friends are residing close by, and the traditional Buddhist ceremony will be held on his 100th day anniversary of his death. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2007at 9:00 AM, at Wat Thormikaram of Rhode Island, 177-178 Hanover St. Providence, RI. Friends and families of the survivors are invited to attend.

For more info, please contact: Seney Chang (401) 837-3323 * Pounlik Chang (401) 868-0072 * Sandy Saing (781) 475-8670 * Lux Chang (514) 327-1286.

Darin Chheng in the process of becoming a novice monk. In Cambodian Theravada Buddism tradition, it is customary for the loved one of the deceased to be ordained as a noivice monk for as long as he can to earn merits for the deceased. By becoming a novice monks, Darin observes the 10 precepts for the duration as a novice monk and the merits earned by Darin will be passed on to his grandfather so that his grandfather's conscience will have better kharma.