Wangshik Shin

On September 12, 2023, Wangshik Shin (affectionately known as Shin) of Wayne, Pennsylvania passed away peacefully, completing nearly nine decades of a life well-lived.

Shin was the first-born son, second of nine children, of Eon Chung Shin and Chong Duk Hong. He was born in Uiju, Korea on February 28, 1934. During that time, it was common for families to wait for a period of time before officially registering the birth to ensure the infant survives. As such, Shin’s birth was officially registered as if he were born on December 28, 1934. However, Shin and his family always celebrated his birthday on February 28th.

Shin was the proud member of the 34th generation of the Pyeongsan Shin Clan, one of the great aristocratic families of the early Goryeo Dynasty. Shin is a direct descendent of General Sung-Gyeom Shin who helped establish a unified Goryeo in the Year of 918. In April 1946, six months after the communist party took control of current-day North Korea, Shin and his family fled the north, eventually settling in Seoul, Korea, which is where he considered home.

Shin was a member of the 5th graduating class of Seoul High School and the first of his family to travel overseas to the United States to attend college after the Korean War. Shin prided himself on his love of learning and valued the importance of education above all. He attended Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, where he graduated with a B.A. in Political Science. Shin continued his studies with a one-year special graduate program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and finished his education by earning a Master of Arts and pursued his PhD at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIU-C), where he became a full-time Professor in the College of Technical Careers, happily teaching and advising thousands of students. During his tenure at SIU-C, he also created several international programs where professors from abroad came to the United States to increase their English proficiency and learn how technical careers were taught in the U.S.

Shin met the love of his life, Masako (née Toyota), in 1960 at SIU-C. Having spent his first 11 years of his life living under a Japanese-occupied Korea, Shin used the excuse that he wanted to maintain his Japanese fluency as a way to court Masako. Given Shin’s filial respect to his parents’ feelings about their son marrying a Japanese woman, Shin and Masako waited to marry until July 26, 1969 in Decatur, Illinois. Shin proudly became a U.S. citizen on December 2, 1976.

Shin and Masako ultimately made their home in Herrin, Illinois where they raised their two daughters, Alisa and Silvia. Shin was an active member of the Rotary Club of Herrin where he seldom missed a weekly meeting. Shin and Masako were very active parents supporting their daughters’ endeavors, especially as swim parents. Shin was an avid tennis player with his wife and could always be found on the outdoor courts at the Herrin City Park and the indoor courts at SIU-C. He was also devoted to his extended family, looking after his siblings, the next two generations and the children of some of his closest friends – many of whom he sponsored to come to the United States to study. Shin always opened his home to international students, providing a safe haven for them to relax and enjoy Shin’s and his wife’s cooking.

After over 34 years of teaching, Shin retired as a Professor Emeritus at SIU-C and wondered what challenges awaited him in this new phase of life. Luckily, he did not have to wait too long. In 1999, Shin and Masako moved to Wayne, Pennsylvania with the arrival of their first grandchild, Brian. Shin became Grandpa to four other grandchildren, Aidan, Allysandra, Arden, and Evelyn. Shin eased too easily into the role of Grandpa and could never pass up the opportunity to walk around endlessly while holding a grandbaby in his arms. Shin’s niece, Youngsun Kim (Hoon Choi), and daughter, Rebecca Choi, moved to the Wayne area and became an extension of his immediate family.

Shin took immense pleasure in watching all of his grandchildren (including Rebecca) grow, and treasured every opportunity to attend all of their school and/or sporting events. Shin was a staple on the Upper Mainline YMCA tennis courts and at the fitness center, where he was affectionately known by everyone (young and old) as “Grandpa”. He considered the teammates of his grandchildren as his “swim grandchildren” and was always in the stands with his stopwatch recording their times. Towards the end of his life, he became an avid Mahjong player, playing at the Easttown Library and Surrey Services of Devon.

Shin was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, two nephews and a niece. He is survived by his wife, Masako, his daughters, Alisa and Silvia (Jeremy Lisnoff), five grandchildren, Brian, Aidan and Allysandra McKenrick and Arden and Evelyn Lisnoff, four sisters, two brothers, and 21 nieces and nephews and their children.

Shin will always be remembered for his dedication to and love for his family, close friends and the international students he helped throughout his lifetime. He exemplified the American dream, having always emphasized to his family the importance of a strong worth ethic and a dedication to family and community. A Celebration of Life will be held later in the year when his oldest grandson returns Stateside from his U.S. Army deployment. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Easttown Library Foundation (Berwyn, PA) or Surrey Services of Devon (Devon, PA) in his memory would be greatly appreciated.