Rev. Grace Choon Kim

Obituary and Tribute to Rev. Grace Choon Kim

Rev. Grace Choon Kim of Walnut Creek, California, passed away from Alzheimer’s disease on March 18, 2024.

Grace was born on May 10, 1942 in Gwangju, South Korea.  She studied German at Sungkyunkwan University. After graduation, she worked for the Swedish Hospital and the Norwegian Consulate in Seoul.  Grace met her husband, the Reverand Sun Bai Kim, when they were teenagers attending the same church in Gwangju. They eventually married in 1969 and had two children, Jenny Y. Kim of Oakland, CA and John W. Kim of Louisville, KY.  In 1974, Grace joined Sun in the United States where he was attending seminary in Denver, CO and the family eventually settled in Louisville, KY.  There, Grace served the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for over 25 years in the Congregational Ministries Publishing Division as an associate developing Bible study curriculum and training publications translated into Korean language for the many Korean immigrant Presbyterian church congregations throughout the country.

Along the way, while working full-time, raising a family, and supporting Sun in his church ministries in Columbia, SC and Atlanta, GA, Grace received her Masters of Arts in Christian Education from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta and her Masters in Divinity from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.  Her dedication and passion for her family, especially her grandchildren, and single-minded determination to achieve her goals and dreams despite the many challenges she faced will always be an inspiration.  We miss her greatly. 

Grace is survived by her loving husband, Sun, her children and their spouses, her beloved grandchildren, Sophia, Natalie, and Beckett, and her three brothers and two sisters.

Funeral services will be held on March 22, 2024, 11:00 AM at Oakmont Memorial Park Redwood Chapel in Lafayette, CA.