Honor the Life of Our Mother Chung Wha Rhee (김 정화)

Our mother was born in Hamheung, the capital of Hamgyŏng Province in what is now North Korea. When she was born in 1937, she already had five older half-siblings (her father’s first wife died of tuberculosis). However, she was the oldest of five born to our extraordinary grandmother, and she was the diplomat of her joined family.

Our mother was a toddler under Japanese occupation, a child during World War II, a pre-teen refugee, a teenager during the Korean War, and a college student after the country was divided. She married our father in 1962, had their first child in 1964, and followed him to America in 1965.

Alone, without family or friends, she created a life and a home for her small family in a studio apartment in New York’s Garment District. Over the years, her family and circle of friends grew, and she created new lives and homes as our father’s medical career progressed—Connecticut, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, and California.

She sent her children to college and beyond; she attended their weddings; and she rejoiced in their children and watched them grow.

As the years passed, she mourned the loss of loved ones near and far. Our father and her youngest brother died in 2020; two blows that continued to ache for the rest of her days, which came to their end on April 22, 2024.

On March 21, 2024, a mass was discovered on our mother’s liver. After biopsy, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic pancreatic cancer. A series of complications ensued, and her only wish was to go home.

Four weeks from that fateful day of discovery, we transitioned her from the hospital to hospice care at home on April 19. She died peacefully with her children, her oldest granddaughter, her adopted grandson, and her best buddy Howard close by.

Through everything she experienced—oppression and freedom, horror and joy, hunger and abundance, fear and confidence, worry and reassurance, pain and relief, loss and love—she had her faith to sustain her.

And as a woman of faith, she was devoted to her church and its community. She did everything she could to help improve it. As the first Korean congregation in the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in the U.S., Hahn-In CRC of Grand Rapids has a long history of service in the city. But its beautiful 100+-year-old building is badly in need of a new roof and like many small churches, its budget can only cover emergency repairs as needed.

Our mother's last big project was trying to secure federal grant funds to replace the roof entirely and ensure that this house of God would remain a safe shelter of worship and spiritual guidance for future congregations. The grant application was submitted before her cancer diagnosis, but the possibility of receiving any funds is less than 5%.

So, it would be a gift of grace to help finish what she started and contribute what we can to the roof and other critical repairs.

We invite you to share what you can and offer a few words of remembrance as well.

With immense gratitude for her life and your support,

Mi-Yung, Mi-Kyung & Joon Rhee