Obituary for Lee Jun Hwang
HWANG, Lee Jun
Birth: November 7, 1946 - Gwangju, South Korea
Death: December 6, 2018 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Lee Jun Hwang, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away on December 6 at the age of 72, surrounded by the people he considered his most precious gifts: Maria, his loving wife of 46 years; son Thomas (Tammy); daughter Rosa (Adam) and daughter Anne (Scott). He is also survived by his four grandsons Noah, Karsen, Nathan and Louis; as well as many other family and friends across Canada, the United States and South Korea.
Lee was born in 1946 in Gwangju, a city in the southeast corner of the Korean peninsula. By 1970, he was living in Busan, where he met Maria at a church meeting. Lee liked to joke that it was Maria who pursued him, but the truth is, he’s the one who fell in love first. They married in 1972 and quickly started their family.
Lee was an adventurer at heart and a true visionary. A few years into married life, he made the very bold and brave decision to make Canada their permanent home, moving his wife and young children to a country where he didn’t speak either of the two official languages. That one decision changed the trajectory of all their lives for the better - just one chapter in his own remarkable life story. A difficult childhood should have left him permanently broken. It didn’t. He survived a bullet in Vietnam that he never talked about, even though there was no hiding the scar on his leg. He endured personal and economic hardship, accompanied by years of back-breaking labour as a small business owner and class B pipe welder, working long hours, even to the detriment of his own health. To help his children achieve their goals, he suppressed his own ambitions, but he revelled in their success, both personally and professionally. Lee eventually fulfilled his own dreams of academia, earning a degree in theology from the Catholic University of Korea.
As one of the founding members of the Korean Catholic Community in Calgary, Lee enjoyed meaningful friendships that spanned decades. He remained active at St. Anne Korean Catholic Church in Calgary, where he was a leader and a mentor. A man of multiple talents, he was a self-taught guitar and ukulele player and enjoyed singing just as much as others enjoyed hearing him sing. He was also an avid gardener and routinely gave away bags of organic vegetables grown in the greenhouse he built in his backyard. The quintessential handyman, he could literally fix anything and build everything.
Lee’s determination to provide a better life for his family is what sustained him. To his wife, children and grandchildren, he was their warrior and they will be forever grateful for his lifetime of sacrifice, his work ethic and devotion to their happiness. Lee lived much longer than the doctors had predicted when he was given his diagnosis. Not surprising for a man who possessed an inner strength that his grandchildren regarded as “superhuman.” He fought valiantly, but his passing was gentle. As he drew his last breath, he took comfort in knowing he was loved deeply and that his true eternal home is with his Saviour.
Lee’s family would like to thank Dr. Cynthia Card and the medical staff at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, along with Dr. Rhea Varughese and the medical staff at the Peter Lougheed Centre for their compassion and professionalism.
Funeral Mass will be held at St. Anne's Korean Catholic Church (910 21 Ave SE, Calgary) on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at 10:30 am, with viewing one hour prior to service. After the service, the family will host a reception at one of Lee's favourite restaurants, Buffet Yangtze (901 64 Ave NE, Calgary). If you'd like to make a charitable contribution in Lee's name, the family requests donations to the Alberta Cancer Foundation or a cancer charity of your choice.
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Lee please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.
Birth: November 7, 1946 - Gwangju, South Korea
Death: December 6, 2018 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Lee Jun Hwang, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend, passed away on December 6 at the age of 72, surrounded by the people he considered his most precious gifts: Maria, his loving wife of 46 years; son Thomas (Tammy); daughter Rosa (Adam) and daughter Anne (Scott). He is also survived by his four grandsons Noah, Karsen, Nathan and Louis; as well as many other family and friends across Canada, the United States and South Korea.
Lee was born in 1946 in Gwangju, a city in the southeast corner of the Korean peninsula. By 1970, he was living in Busan, where he met Maria at a church meeting. Lee liked to joke that it was Maria who pursued him, but the truth is, he’s the one who fell in love first. They married in 1972 and quickly started their family.
Lee was an adventurer at heart and a true visionary. A few years into married life, he made the very bold and brave decision to make Canada their permanent home, moving his wife and young children to a country where he didn’t speak either of the two official languages. That one decision changed the trajectory of all their lives for the better - just one chapter in his own remarkable life story. A difficult childhood should have left him permanently broken. It didn’t. He survived a bullet in Vietnam that he never talked about, even though there was no hiding the scar on his leg. He endured personal and economic hardship, accompanied by years of back-breaking labour as a small business owner and class B pipe welder, working long hours, even to the detriment of his own health. To help his children achieve their goals, he suppressed his own ambitions, but he revelled in their success, both personally and professionally. Lee eventually fulfilled his own dreams of academia, earning a degree in theology from the Catholic University of Korea.
As one of the founding members of the Korean Catholic Community in Calgary, Lee enjoyed meaningful friendships that spanned decades. He remained active at St. Anne Korean Catholic Church in Calgary, where he was a leader and a mentor. A man of multiple talents, he was a self-taught guitar and ukulele player and enjoyed singing just as much as others enjoyed hearing him sing. He was also an avid gardener and routinely gave away bags of organic vegetables grown in the greenhouse he built in his backyard. The quintessential handyman, he could literally fix anything and build everything.
Lee’s determination to provide a better life for his family is what sustained him. To his wife, children and grandchildren, he was their warrior and they will be forever grateful for his lifetime of sacrifice, his work ethic and devotion to their happiness. Lee lived much longer than the doctors had predicted when he was given his diagnosis. Not surprising for a man who possessed an inner strength that his grandchildren regarded as “superhuman.” He fought valiantly, but his passing was gentle. As he drew his last breath, he took comfort in knowing he was loved deeply and that his true eternal home is with his Saviour.
Lee’s family would like to thank Dr. Cynthia Card and the medical staff at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, along with Dr. Rhea Varughese and the medical staff at the Peter Lougheed Centre for their compassion and professionalism.
Funeral Mass will be held at St. Anne's Korean Catholic Church (910 21 Ave SE, Calgary) on Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at 10:30 am, with viewing one hour prior to service. After the service, the family will host a reception at one of Lee's favourite restaurants, Buffet Yangtze (901 64 Ave NE, Calgary). If you'd like to make a charitable contribution in Lee's name, the family requests donations to the Alberta Cancer Foundation or a cancer charity of your choice.
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Lee please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.