Soonja Choi Kim OBITUARY

Soonja Choi Kim OBITUARY

Soonja Choi Kim, M.D., passed away unexpectedly but peacefully on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, in Springfield, Massachusetts, surrounded by family.

Born in 1941, Dr. Choi spent infancy in Manchuria, early childhood in North Korea, and migrated to Seoul shortly before the Korean War. As a child she directly witnessed the terrors of war: death, hunger, and authoritarian abuse. At the age of 12, she was sent to Seoul for education and she attended Ewha Girls Middle School, Ewha Girls High school and then graduated from Ewha Women’s University College of Medicine, specializing in pediatrics.

In 1968, Dr. Choi married Honggill Kim, M.D., an internist from Yonsei University College of Medicine. They immigrated to the United States in 1971 with two toddlers. After completing residency in Pontiac, Michigan, and St. Louis, Missouri, she joined the teaching staff at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital in 1973. She later established a pediatric practice in Warrenville, Illinois, becoming a beloved physician to multiple generations. A skilled diagnostician, Dr. Choi operated her solo practice full time from 1976 to 2019 and retired at 78.

She sponsored both parents and all five siblings for immigration and higher education in the U.S. She and her husband were pillars of their Korean Presbyterian church in the Chicago area.

In 1982, Dr. Choi was elected President of the Midwest chapter of the Korean Medical Association, becoming its first female president. She also served as President of the Ewha Alumnae Association, raising significant funds for her alma mater through the U.S.-based Ewha Fund. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley presented her a Citizen’s Award for service to the Korean community.

Her family heritage is closely tied to the early days of Christianity in Korea. Her great-uncle was recognized as the first native pastor in the early 1900s. The faith instilled from girlhood deepened through study and fervent prayer. On her first mission trip to West Kalimantan, Indonesia, in 1986, her life’s calling came into sharp relief.

Dr. Choi raised $40,000 for Indonesia’s Agape Medical Center and began organizing regular medical humanitarian trips to Indonesia, Kenya, and North Korea. Returning home, she and Dr. Kim mobilized donations, scouring garage sales and thrift stores, and she personally loaded books, clothes, and supplies into shipping containers.

In 1996 she founded Messengers of Mercy (M.O.M.), chartered by seven Illinois families to equip Korean missions worldwide. As Executive Director from inception to her passing, she built a network of Korean-American churches to sustain the work. To date, 164 containers have been distributed worldwide to every continent other than Antarctica.

Under Dr. Choi, M.O.M.’s model worked at both macro and micro levels—no opportunity wasted. She would negotiate with major relief organizations like Samaritan’s Purse to secure 50 Chromebooks before her next flight; ship 40-foot containers while also packing medicines into personal baggage to 70 pounds precisely. She fused lofty vision with granular execution. After speaking from the pulpit, she could be found counting, bagging, and labeling until sunrise.

To date, M.O.M. has produced over 800 humanitarian mission trips and facilitated materials and expertise for projects in more than 100 countries:

As retirement approached in the 2010s, she fundraised extensively to help establish a mission-based mutual support community in Lindale, Texas, in partnership with JAMA. She relocated to Lindale in 2020 after closing her practice and stewarding her husband’s health.

A devoted grandmother, she and Dr. Kim drove two hours every weekend to visit their grandchildren—giving piggyback rides, creating thoughtful medical care packages, preparing bountiful tables, and celebrating every milestone. Her energy was boundless.

Though a prominent woman of means and pedigree, she chose a humble, frugal life. “Having no style is my style,” she liked to say. Strangers rarely guessed that the woman with the unassuming, exuberant smile was an exceptional clinician with worldwide admiration and steely, savvy resolve.

Dr. Choi is survived by her daughters Jane Kim (m. Andy Stephens) and Sue Kim (m. Todd Vazquez); five grandchildren—Mira, Thomas, Drew, Elise, and Alia; and five siblings—Aerin Lee, Soon-myung Chang, Young-dong Choi, Sarah Yang, and Young-chan Choi.

Memorial services will be held in Texas and Illinois.

Texas: June 6, 2026 Hosted by Messengers of Mercy

JAMA Global Campus 22392 FM 16 W, Lindale, TX

11:30 am service, main auditorium

1:00 pm lunch, dining hall

Livestream available: tinycc/dr_s_choi_tx_live_stream

Illinois: June 27, 2026 Hosted by family

Alliance Fellowship Church 665 Grand Canyon St Hoffman Estates, IL

10:00 am visitation

11:00 am service

12:00 pm lunch

Livestream available:

https://youtube.com/live/tdH3QKnCofl?feature=share

In lieu of flowers or gifts, please donate to Messengers of Mercy (English / Korean). https://bit.ly/messengersofmercy