Jae Yung Suh

Lt. Colonel (Retired, ROK Army) Jae Yung Suh passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of Sunday, May 22. Jae was born on March 7, 1936, in Samnye, Jeolla Buk-Do, South Korea to Mr. Hee Bong Suh and Ms. Soon Hee Kim. Jae was the second son of 8 children. Jae graduated from the prestigious Republic of Korea Military Academy as an artillery officer. He married an Army nurse Choon Hee Park in 1961 and had two children, Sang-Jin (son) and Yang-Hwa (daughter). After volunteering and fighting in the Vietnam War, Jae enrolled in the Korean Army Command and Staff College as a student and remained a year as an instructor. Desiring to immigrate to US, Jae retired from the ROK Army in 1974 as a Lieutenant Colonel and moved the family to Lyons, IL. Jae worked a year as an electrical engineer first with the Lowrey and then with GTE. He then followed the American dream and became a small business owner of the P&S Heating and Cooling Company and worked until 2005 and retired at the age of 70. Following retirement, Jae and Choon moved to Opelika, AL to live near their son, Sang-Jin, and his family. In 2019, Jae and Choon moved together with Sang-Jin and Laura to Richardson, TX. Jae was vibrant and full of life. He was a highly charismatic, intelligent, and athletic man who was easy to love and respect. He loved his family and friends, the Catholic church, food, golf, gardening, travel, and animals in that order. His charisma extended beyond humans and every animal in the vicinity flocked to him and he always carried treats in his pockets. His love and regard for the family induced Jae to give up his army career to immigrate to the States for better opportunities for his children. Through his sacrifice, Jae made certain his children could attend any university without financial concerns. Jae was proud that both of his children graduated from the University of Chicago. Jae was even more proud of his children’s marriages and loved his daughter in law, Laura Silo, and son in law, William Kellogg. The whole Suh family became a very close-knit family led by Jae’s love. The first time anyone could remember Jae cry was when he held his first grandchild, Jordan, in his hands because he had missed the birth of Sang-Jin and Yang-Hwa due to deployments. Jae absolutely loved his four grandchildren, Jordan, Jessica, Alex, and Samantha, and did his absolute best to spoil them. He was loved unconditionally in return. Jae and Choon loved to travel, and they got to see the world with Yang-Hwa, Bill, Alex, and Samantha to build everlasting memories. Following his retirement, Jae lived the life of his dreams by spending his free time playing golf and gardening. He was such a good gardener that he terraformed his backyard into a highly productive vegetable and flower garden whose yields he freely shared with his friends and neighbors. Jae’s Catholic faith was at the core of his being. Like many others who had fought in war, Jae believed in God and peace in the world. He believed strongly in Christ’s teachings and did his best to study the Bible and spread the gospel. Jae worked hard for the Chicago Korean Catholic community for over 30 years first at the Queen of Angels church and then at the Korean Martyrs’ Catholic Church. When he moved to Opelika, AL, Jae became a parishioner at the Saint Michael the Archangel Church in Auburn, AL and worked diligently to spread the gospel among the Koreans in that area. Jae befriended, helped and learned from numerous priests and nuns during his life. Jae is survived by his wife and partner of 61 years, Choon Hee; his son and wife, Sang-Jin and Laura; his daughter and husband, Yang-Hwa and Bill; his grandchildren Jordan, Jessica, Alex, and Samantha. Jae was always full of love and smiles. Until the very end, Jae was smiling at everyone to show his love for them. He was not a perfect man, but he was as good a husband, father, grandfather, and a friend as one could hope to meet in life. He will be missed very much by his family and friends. We love you Dad. Sang-Jin, Yang-Hwa, Laura, and Bill.

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