Obituary of Kason Kean Roeun

Kason Kean Roeun, age 23, of Madison, NJ, passed away at home on Saturday, May 25, 2024. Kason was born in Portland, Maine and lived there his entire life prior to joining his family in their recent move to New Jersey.   

Kason was a born fearless adventurer who loved the outdoors. He found peace while surrounded by nature but glowed most in his encounters with others. Kason had a natural charisma that allowed him to form friendships easily. His speech was gentle, but fierce in conviction. He was someone you could count on to listen to you, to hear you, and help you problem-solve without giving you the answer. 

Kason was born into a first generation immigrant family and embraced his upbringing of living two different cultures melted into one. He sought to experience life outside of Maine and set a goal of driving across country which he accomplished shortly after purchasing his first car, a trusted Subaru that he equipped into a home away from home by building a makeshift bed alongside camping and emergency gear. That was a memorable experience for him as it pushed him outside of his comfort zone by inserting himself in a new environment alone, forcing him to learn to trust his instincts and make decisions that he promised his mom to be safe. Kason enjoyed taking solo trips on a whim where he would find a new destination and basked in sharing stories of when he would sleep on the roof of his Subaru while looking up towards the starlit skies.

Kason loved his family deeply and was proud of his Cambodian heritage. He had a heart of gold and would help anyone in need. If you needed Kason, he was there. If you didn’t need him, he still found his way there. From the moment he was born, he wanted the world to know that he was independent, that he was who he was, and he would be in control of his own destiny. Kason sought to live a life of independence, wanting to do things on his own, on his terms. Kason wanted to accomplish life at speeds of zero to one hundred; he possessed wisdom far grander than most of his peers but had a difficult time understanding that life’s ebbs and flows are natural in the growing process, and ultimately it became the catalyst for his decision to end the pain and suffering that tormented his mind. 

Surviving are his parents, Sary and Vuthi Roeun, of Madison; one brother, Kaden Roeun, one sister, Kyla Roeun; maternal grandmother, Seam Pao; paternal grandfather Chhoem Chin; and many aunts and uncles, cousins, and external family members, too many to name.  

Kason was predeceased by his maternal grandfather, Kean Pao; and paternal grandmother, Kimla Yuong. 

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend the visitation for Kason held on Saturday, June 1, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main Street, in Madison. A Celebration of Kason’s Life and (non-traditional) Buddhist Ceremony will be conducted at 4:00 p.m. during the visitation – all are welcome to be present; Kason loved sharing his culture and would have smiled at the thought of others hearing the beauty behind the chants. 

Cremation services will be held privately for the family. 

In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions in Kason’s honor may be made to Outward Bound, an outdoor learning program in partnership with local schools and communities whose mission is to provide critical life skills for teenagers and young adults to embark on a journey measured not just in miles of mountain, river, desert, or ocean, but in pivotal personal growth.