Dr. Dennis Dae-Joo KIM

Dr. Kim was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was also a dedicated teacher and mentor to a generation of physicians in the art and science of Rehabilitation Medicine.

He was born in what is now modern day North Korea in 1944. At the age of six, at the start of the Korean War, his family fled to South Korea and lived the traumatic existence of displaced war refugees. He earned admission to The Catholic University of Korea School of Medicine (Seoul, South Korea). Tenacious and resilient, he continued his medical studies while traveling long distances from home to class, often on an empty stomach due to limited resources. After graduating medical school, he joined the Korean Navy as a medical officer. He later met his future wife, Dong-Hee, a fellow colleague and nurse. They wed in 1973 and shortly thereafter, he immigrated to the United States, when there was a shortage of physicians in America.

Dr. Bluestone, a Korean War Veteran and Chief of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in NY, recognized his talent and so began Dr. Kim’s legacy there for the next 45 years as Chief Resident, Faculty, and Department Chair. He co-authored many articles in peer reviewed journals, wrote many book chapters, and led workshops and lectures in his field. But Dr. Kim’s proudest lifetime achievement will always be his students both in the U.S. and South Korea.

As a father, Dr. Kim demanded excellence in academics and all endeavors from his children but also taught them to be respectable, humble, and aware of the needs of others. As a dad to three daughters, he became an unexpected feminist, teaching them to beat boys at basketball, change tires, and fix plumbing, raising his girls to be capable, resilient, and independent. He was a proud American, but also emphasized core Korean values– respect for elders, commitment to family, and a willingness to sacrifice for loved ones.

As his mental cognition and physical function declined precipitously over the last two to three years, he was lovingly cared for at the end of his life, 24 hours of the day, by his wife and his daughter Ryul, son-in-law Brian, and the rest of the Kim family. He lived his final months in the company of his children and grandchildren and finally passed away in peace.

Dr. Kim is survived by his wife, Dong-Hee Kim, his three daughters, otherwise known as “the Three Dr. Kims”: Ryul Kim-Im (Brian Im), June Kim (Zoran Ivankovich), and Azalea Kim (Lawrence “Andy” Mumm), as well as six grandchildren: Ryan, Rylie, Avery, Amelie, Ailani, and Astrid.

A visitation for Dr. Kim will be held Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at Edwin L. Bennett Funeral Homes, 824 Scarsdale Ave, Scarsdale, NY 10583. A funeral mass will occur Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 10:45 AM at St. Pius X Church, 91 Secor Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583. A committal service will occur Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 12:15 PM at Rockland Cemetery, 201 Kings Highway, Sparkill, NY 10976.