Young Hyuk (Im) Cho, 74, passed away on June 5, 2016, in her new home in Cary, NC, after battling Lewy Body Dementia for the last three years.
Young was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1942. She was the fifth of eight children to Jwa Bin Im and Oak Wha Park. Their family survived the Korean War, and thereafter forged a life where Young eventually gained a bachelor’s degree from Ewha Women’s University in 1964. After immigrating to the United States, she married her husband, Yo-Yoon Cho, in Harvard, Massachusetts in 1967. Thereafter, they lived in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Florida.
Young received her ham radio license in 1970 and was especially active in this hobby with her husband after retirement. She enjoyed interior design- (her home was featured in news articles)- as well as gardening, travel, and music. An avid tennis and golf player, she was a model of strength and energy- her favorite pastime as a child was speed-skating. She was also heavily involved at both the First Korean Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh as well as the Korean Church of Boston, serving as President of the Women’s Associations. Her business savvy and love for people were materialized in Young’s establishment and operation of a successful dry cleaning business for fifteen years in Natick, MA. Upon her retirement, Young then authored and published a book, Hanguk Bipanjadeul (“Critics of Korea”), which defended her homeland against critics against it—it soon became a best-seller in Korea. There was no doubt as to Young’s love for people of all backgrounds and walks of life, her friendships, her vivaciousness and energy, her generosity, graciousness, her love of life, ambition, and most of all, the fact that she was full of laughter. She will be missed.
Young is survived by husband Yo-Yoon Cho; four children -- Esther (Mimi) Park and husband Tom, Michelle Khalili and husband Alan, Melissa Lee and husband Sang Il, and Abraham Cho and wife Laura; ten grandchildren -- Tobias, Lily, Eben, Grant, Lauren, Peyton, Ellie, Avery, Harrison, and Bennett. She is also survived by four sisters, In Hyuk Im, Im Hyuk Im, Jung Hyuk Cho, Myung Hyuk Somoon, brother Bo Hyuk Im, cousin Do Hyuk Yim, and 24 nieces and nephews as well as countless additional extended relatives.
Young was predeceased by two brothers, Koo Hyuk Rim and Chang Hyuk Im.
A wake for Young will take place on Thursday, June 9, from 3 to 7 PM in the Burke-Magliozzi Funeral Home, 390 North Main Street, Andover. The funeral will be a graveside service on Friday, June 10, at 10 AM, in the West Parish Garden Cemetery, 129 Reservation Road, Andover. For additional information, please visit, www.burkemagliozzi.com.