Yongboon Park Kim Obituary (1935 - 2022)

Yongboon (Park) Kim passed away peacefully of natural causes on January 1, 2022, in her Fairfax home at the age of 86. Yongboon was born July 25, 1935, in Sosa, South Korea, the youngest of nine children. An exceptionally bright child, Yongboon left her small hometown to attend two of the most prestigious schools in Korea: Kyunggi Girls School and Ewha Womans University. It was in Seoul that the beautiful Yongboon Park married Dr. Yong Deok Kim, in January 1961. They welcomed their first child, John (Suk Joong), later that same year. Their second child, Ann (Hyun Jung), was born just days before Yong Deok had to leave home to serve as a medical officer in the Vietnam War. Upon Yong Deok's return, the young family emigrated to the U.S., where daughter Alice (Ho Jung) was born. Yongboon's life was marked by many hardships including the deprivations of the Korean War, the early loss of both her parents, a near-fatal bout with tuberculosis, and the tragic death of her beloved first-born child and only son. Yet Yongboon experienced countless moments of joy and triumph as well. One of Yongboon's proudest moments was graduating second in her class at the Community College of Allegheny County in her fifties after decades of struggling with the English language. Family and friends remember Yongboon as a talented Korean cook, gracious hostess, devoted Catholic, and dedicated mother and wife. Yongboon is survived by her devoted husband of nearly 61 years, Dr. Yong Deok Kim; daughters Ann Kim (John Wooley) of San Francisco and Alice Blake (Adrian) of Omaha; grandchildren Noah, Bella and Sophie Kim, Jonah and Theo Wooley, Hahn Sol Kang, and Lily, Pierce and Annabel Blake; as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family. She was preceded in death by her son, Dr. John S. Kim, in 2018. A memorial service will be planned later in the year, public health conditions permitting.