Kim D. Barbier

Kim D. Barbier, age 82, of LaCrosse, WI, passed peacefully on July 7, in her home lovingly surrounded by her three children.

Kim was born in Hanoi, Vietnam on August 20, 1939, to Anthony Đỗ Tri Lễ and Anne Nguyễn Thị Ngọc. She was one of 11 children in a vibrant Vietnamese-Catholic family. Due to the war, the family moved several times & eventually settled in Saigon. In 1964, her younger brother, Hao, brought his friend Dr. Arthur G. Barbier home to a family dinner. Art was inspired by Kim’s virtues & beauty. They were married on July 18 at the Church of the Virgin Mary in Saigon. Newlyweds Art & Kim moved to the United States to establish his career & start their family. They shared 51 wonderfully blessed years of marriage & family before Art passed.

As a young girl in Vietnam, Kim was a humble servant of God and an active member in the Legion of Mary. A devoted wife and mother, she excelled in all ways creating a loving, nurturing home for her family. Kim was a generous & caring soul who paid attention to details & appreciated the little things in life. In 1975, Mom and Dad sponsored and opened their home to her parents, four sisters with their young families who escaped the war in Vietnam.

Mom traveled the world with Dad, enjoying their many adventures & pilgrimages. And how they loved to dance! Family time centered around eating delicious Vietnamese food and sharing stories with lots of laughter. Music had always been an integral part of her life. In her later years, she became a huge fan of Michael Bublé & attended his concert with Gary in Chicago. Sitting in her recliner faithfully watching EWTN or delighting in the many songbirds at her window were among her favorite pastimes.

A kind, sweet lady full of grace, Mom inspired us all with her strength and grit throughout life’s challenges. She dedicated her life to God & Family & the Church. Throughout her life up to her last moments on earth, Kim prayed tirelessly for her loved ones & the world.

Beloved Kim is survived by her three children -- Louise of Kansas City, MO; Gary of La Crosse, WI; and Yvonne of Cambridge, MA; her six siblings Anh Tuấn, Kim Liên, Kim Chi, Anh Hào, Anh Hùng, and Kim Châm & their families; and other extended family in the United States & abroad.

Kim was preceded in death by her husband Art; parents Anthony Đỗ Tri Lễ and Anne Nguyễn Thị Ngọc; siblings Kim Loan, Kim Quy, Kim Oanh, Anh Dũng; parents-in-law Gerhard and Paula Barbier; sister-in-law Louise Barbier; and step mother-in-law Agnes Barbier. 

Kim requested memorials to: St. Joseph The Workman Cathedral of La Crosse, Roncalli Newman Parish of La Crosse, The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe of La Crosse & EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network).

The Mass of Christian Burial for Kim will be held at 10:00 AM on Friday, July 22 at St. Joseph The Workman Cathedral, La Crosse. The very Rev. Msgr. Richard Gilles will preside. Visitation will be held for two hours prior to the Mass at Church from 8:00 to 10:00 AM, with a Rosary to begin at 9:30 AM. Interment will be held at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

The Barbier family wishes to extend a very special “Thank You” to the dedicated Medical/Hospice Team at Gundersen Health, the wonderful caring staff at the Willows, and all Kim’s beloved family & friends who visited her at the Willows & prayed for her.

A livestream of the Mass can be found at

https://youtu.be/esVvWJ5JvRs