John Jay Kim

John Jay Kim peacefully passed away on October 3, 2022 to be with our Lord Jesus Christ at the age of 85. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather, and his legacy is his perseverance and grit. His passing is an enormous loss to his family and his community.

Born in 1937, John grew up with his mother, father, four brothers, and three sisters in a small town in South Korea. Yet when he was 17 years old, his father unexpectedly passed away, leaving John to navigate and endure many challenges by himself. Soon after, John left his hometown, journeying to Seoul alone in order to pursue a better education; indeed, until his very last breath, John remained as inquisitive as ever, and firmly believed that, although life is transient, only books and knowledge would continue to live on into the future.

After he graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in law and business, he served in the South Korean Airforce. He then started a global business that manufactured and exported electronic goods. John’s business prospered and enabled him to travel and see the world, which was a luxury that allowed him to satiate his adventurous spirit and endless curiosity.

When he was 70 years old he immigrated to America to spend the rest of his life with his family in a quiet suburban town in Orange County. Even in his retirement, John was a voracious reader and an advocate for the importance of hard work and education, which are values that he passed on to his daughters and his grandchildren. He could always be found writing and reading, studying the English language, and satisfying his infamous sweet tooth. The memory of his perseverance and curiosity live on through his daughters, whom he fiercely cherished.

John was a man of God, and expressed his commitment to serving Jesus Christ through his grace, patience, and kindness to all he encountered. He came to know the Lord as an adult, converting to Christianity after he married his wife, and deeply believed that it was his duty to share God’s Word with others. Indeed, as an avid reader, John especially loved the Bible. The Book of John (his chosen name) was his favorite, and he spent his last days repeating and memorizing its first lines in English: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John, who loved the Word, is now with God.

A visitation for John will be held Friday, October 21, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 1:45 PM at Rose Hills Mortuary - Gate#1 - Visitation Center, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601. Following the visitation will be a funeral service from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Rose Hills Memorial Park - Gate#17 - Hillside Chapel, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601.

John will be laid to rest in Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, California 90601; Garden of Purity II; Gate: 1, Section: 1, Lot: 3205, Grave: 2.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.rosehills.com for the Kim family.