Ioan “Nelu” Suiugan was born on February 27, 1961. He was a man of boundless energy, resilience, and generosity, born in a small Romanian town “Marghita BH” to Valeria and Traian Suiugan. The first of four siblings, Voichita, Lia, and Marin. Nelu carved his own path from the start. As a teenager, he lived fearlessly, embracing adventure and hustling to turn every opportunity into income, foreshadowing the entrepreneurial spirit that defined his life.
At 24, he married the love of his life and built a family, cherishing his two children, Ioana and Ionut, with unwavering devotion. A proud father, Nelu prioritized his family above all, working tirelessly to provide them with love, security, and endless support. His heart extended beyond his home: he adored animals, lent a hand to countless friends and strangers alike, and gave selflessly even “the shirt off his back” to those in need.
Nelu, dedicated his 20’s to work and family. He was a successful business man and the proud owner of Bingo Modern in Oradea, Romania, a very successful bingo gaming venue, among multiple other businesses such as bars, clubs and custom furniture workshops.
Forced by the corruption in Romania, Nelu decided to take his family to visit U.S.A for the first time in 2001, hoping we will like it, and eventually decide to emigrate to the U.S. for a better future. The first place he took his family to visit once arrived in the U.S. was the G.M building in Downtown Detroit! Our first visit in the U.S. was short, and after 3 weeks we returned to Romania, decided to finish our high-school in Romania and return to start college in U.S.
In pursuit of a brighter future, In 2004 the entire family returned. Nelu helped us change our visa from tourist to student visa, and we started Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills. He bought us a car, Nelu was paying for the tuition for both kids. Tuition for foreign students, was twice as expensive then then the tuition of an American citizen but he managed to take care of it all and also rented an apartment for us in Farmington Hills, a very safe and beautiful city in Michigan.
For Nelu, adapting was challenging, due to the language barrier but he embraced his new home with gratitude, and learned the language, firmly believing that the U.S. offered the greatest opportunities for his children. Proud and patriotic, he often declared America “the best country in the world,” a testament to his optimism and sacrifice.
