Kim Chong Suk Chang

Kim Chong Suk Chang passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 23, 2022 in Honolulu at the age of 69. She joins her brother Suk Hong Kim in heaven and is survived by her sister Eun Suk Lee, immediate nieces Annie Lee, Juliana Kim, and Catherine Kim—along with many extended cousins, nephews, and nieces. Kim was born to Dong Kyu Kim and Ok Hee Choi in Seoul, South Korea on November 30, 1953. Upon attending Ewha Womans University where she studied Fine and Studio Arts, she immigrated to the United States in 1975 and eventually settled in Hilo, Hawaii during the late 1980s.

As a woman of many talents, Kim always found herself busy with various professions and hobbies. Prior to moving to Hilo, she was a master scuba diver in Tahiti and a ski instructor at Mammoth. Kim was a skilled hair stylist and cosmetologist for 19 years, then later served the Big Island as a realtor with Century21 of Hawaii. Before battling her illness with ALS, Kim was the Vice President of Cho Global Natural Farming Hawaii, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to practicing and teaching sustainable agriculture methods using indigenous microorganisms and locally available products. Kim approached her career similar to her relationships: she was a calculated risk taker but never calculated when extending help to others.

Kim was passionate about Hawaiian culture and danced with Hālau o Kekuhi for many years. In her spare time, Kim took art classes at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and produced numerous pieces of art using different mediums, including oil and acrylic painting, watercolor, charcoal, and mixed media. She had a deep love for animals and adopted many dogs, cats, chickens, goats, reptiles, and even a pig. During her time on the Big Island, she was often found swimming and boogie boarding in Pohoiki and Isaac Hale Beach Park, where her ashes will be laid to rest and returned to her eternal home in the Pacific Ocean.

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