By Justin P. Tuot ’18

AT was born in the province of Kampong Cham, Cambodia, on Sept. 14, 1963. He was the second child of five siblings, with three brothers and one sister. His father was the head prison warden in Kampong Cham province, and his mother was a stay-at-home mom.

In the year 1974, the political climate in Cambodia started to become unstable as Pol Pot was progressively invading provinces near the capital city, Phnom Penh. As a result, AT was sent to live with his uncle in Phnom Penh, where it was assumed to be safer due to the strong protection of the military under the current government. AT attended junior high school in Phnom Penh.

In 1975, Pol Pot overtook the capital city of Phnom Penh under the communist regime known as the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge emptied the cities, marched Cambodians into labor camps, and relocated the urban population to collective farms, where there were mass executions, abuse, torture, malnutrition, and disease. Approximately 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians were killed during this time, which was about a quarter of the population of Cambodia.

In 1979, AT found out his family was killed, likely due to his father’s role working under the previous government. He was afraid that his life was in danger due to his father’s position, so he fled into the jungles. AT joined the resistance force and survived along the border of Cambodia and Thailand. He was the sole survivor of his family.

Toward the end of 1979, AT escaped to the refugee camp in Thailand, where he met the Seventh-day Adventist missionary Judy Aitken. He was later baptized and became a Seventh-day Adventist.

At the age of 18, AT was adopted by Sherry and Daniel Pletsch ’56-AFF, who were close friends of Judy Aitken. AT went to live with the Pletsch family in Vancouver, Washington. He attended Clark Community College and also worked as an interpreter for the health department of the city of Vancouver. He later attended Walla Walla University, where he went on to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science in 1987.

AT met Radina in 1984 at the Gladstone Camp Meeting in Oregon. They dated for three years and were married on Nov. 29, 1987, in Portland, Oregon.

He and Radina purchased their first home in Colton, California, in 1989. They had their first child, Justin, in Dec. of 1990, followed by their second child, Athena, in July of 1993. In order to be closer to work, he and Radina sold their first home in Colton and moved to Loma Linda in 1997, where they purchased their current home. They then had their third child, Amily, in March of 2000.

AT was diagnosed with liver disease around December of 2000 and underwent emergency surgery to place a shunt in his liver. At the time, he was told by the medical team that he would not survive without a liver transplant and was even advised to go on disability as he was told he would not be able to work, but he refused. He was also placed on the transplant list. However, he was later removed from the list as his liver function returned to normal. AT went on to live for the next 24 years without any complications related to his liver and was otherwise healthy.

For many years, AT was involved in the Loma Linda Cambodian church group, where he made many lifelong friends. He helped the church as an elder and preacher, and he also led Bible studies at his home on Friday evenings for many years. Most distinctive in his church-related duties was his translation of sermons, which often ended up going twice as long as the original, perplexing the speaker.

AT enjoyed going camping throughout his life, including with his children when they were little as well as with the Cambodian church groups. His hobbies included watching his favorite football team, the Seattle Seahawks, and watching golf. He greatly enjoyed spending time with all of his friends. He and Radina spent the last four years of their retirement traveling to multiple continents around the world, including countries in Asia, Europe, the Caribbean islands, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, and throughout the United States.

In the last few years, AT enjoyed the new additions to the family, including his daughter-in-law, Emily, his son-in-law, Roger, and his two grandchildren, Ezra and Max. The entire Tuot family traveled to Cambodia together in the spring of 2023, where he got to introduce his grandsons to his home country.

In Nov. 2023, AT was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma on a routine imaging study. After completing months of exhaustive treatment, in Oct. 2024, he was hospitalized with liver failure. He passed away at Loma Linda University Medical Center on Oct. 27, 2024. He was surrounded by his wife and children during his final days.

Our family’s existence is a testament to the tenacity and hope that AT represented. Rather than letting adversity inhibit his growth, he lived an open and curious life, full of small joys, big adventure, and most importantly community.