Dr. Ok Kyun Kim

Dr. Ok Kyun (O.K.) Kim of Plano, Texas passed away at age 85 at home with his family in San Diego, California on May 17, 2021. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering at Seoul National University (1958), he furthered his education in the United States at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, earning both an additional bachelor’s degree (1964) and master’s degree (1966) in electrical engineering. During this time, he met his future wife, Youngmoo Kim (née Cho). He later earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Michigan State University (1973). In 1973, accepting a position with Texas Instruments, O.K. and Youngmoo moved to Plano, Texas, which they would call home for the next 46 years. Reflective of his independent streak, in 1979, O.K. founded Lone Star Electronics Co./EM Technologies, Inc., dedicated to the design and manufacture of innovative and advanced communications antennas and electronic systems used throughout the world. O.K. and Youngmoo were charter members of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas for over 20 years.

Education as a means to elevate was a constant focus throughout his life. For decades, O.K. contributed to and later served as the North Texas Chapter President of the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association, which organized math and science competitions for Dallas area youth. In 2015, he established the Dr. Ok Kyun Kim Fellowship in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his beloved alma mater. This fellowship is awarded annually to support outstanding graduate students in pursuit of their advanced degrees in electrical engineering. Furthermore, to promote graduate research and education in his adopted and long-time hometown, he established the Ok Kyun Kim and Youngmoo Cho Kim Graduate Fellowship in Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas, an annual merit-based fellowship for full-time doctoral students in electrical engineering. As a result of such contributions, O.K.’s dedication to education, not only for his family but for others, will continue to live on.

O.K. was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Soong Moon and Botan Kim, brothers Sun Kyun and Yi Kyun Kim, and sister In Sook Kim. He is survived by his brothers Dr. Ho Kyun and Yon Kyun Kim, sisters Dr. Chung Sook and Sook Ja Kim, and numerous nieces and nephews. Additionally, O.K. is survived by his wife of 54 years, Youngmoo Kim, and his two children, Dr. Dennis Wonchul Kim (Atlanta, GA) and Dr. Katherine Haekyung Kim (San Diego, CA), as well as seven loving grandchildren: Hannah, Caroline, Ella, Sophie, Grace, Dylan, and Maris.

O.K will continue to be remembered for his quick smile, selfless generosity, inquisitive mind, devotion to academic excellence, passion for giving advice to younger generations, and extraordinary work ethic.

Memorial and committal services will be held at Restland Funeral Home’s Memorial Chapel and Serenity Garden, respectively, located at 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas on Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 2:30 pm CDT. Live streaming of the memorial service will be available at www.RestlandFuneralHome.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one of O.K.’s favorite non-profit organizations, IntelliChoice, which provides free K-12 math tutoring for underprivileged students throughout the Dallas area as well as in Louisiana and Arizona (https://www.intellichoice.org/supporters/).