Cecilia Haeja Choi

Cecilia Haeja Choi (born Hur) was born on March 24,1943 in Kwangju, Cholla Namdo, South Korea. She grew up in the shadow of WWII and during the Korean War, and immigrated to the United States when there were only a handful of Koreans in this country. Sensitive by nature, she ultimately relied on her faith and family to endure with stoicism and diligence. We remember her for her steadfast faith, her perseverance, and her loving devotion to her family.

Cecilia was a gentle and thoughtful child—the youngest of four children—deeply cherished by her parents and siblings. She was a voracious reader and went on to earn her B.A. in English literature at Ewha Women’s University. Honoring her mother’s wishes, she then moved to the United States to continue her studies and join her older brother, who was already married and studying in the U.S. Although she struggled with the new culture and language, her brother supported and eased her adjustment, and she ultimately earned her Master’s Degree in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. In 1968, She married Kwang Sik Choi, a gregarious, ambitious doctoral student and a friend of her older brother. She moved to Pullman, Washington with her husband when he secured a teaching position at Washington State University. In Pullman, she gave birth to her first child, Christina (Tina), in 1970. As a family, they moved to Virginia Beach in 1972, when her husband began a job teaching finance at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Her second daughter, Adela, was born in 1974. They resided in Virginia Beach for most of their lives and raised their daughters there.

Cecilia’s primary vocation was making a home--lovingly raising her daughters and dutifully supporting her husband’s career and business ventures. Though naturally reserved, she stepped into a variety of roles outside the home in the 80s, including short stints as a high school librarian, as a licensed real estate agent, and as a computer programmer. After her daughters were grown, she returned to her beloved books and library science, taking up work once again as a librarian at Norfolk State University, from which she retired in 2002.

During the family’s time in Virginia Beach, Tidewater Korean Baptist Church was their longtime church home and she and her husband developed many lifelong friendships, including with Dr. Dong Soo Kim and his wife, Dr. Hannah Paik, and Dr. Chu Hon Yi and his wife, Kei Wol Yi. Her husband became a deacon and she spent many years quietly and faithfully serving the church. She organized the church library, led Bible studies and went on a mission trip to Guatemala. Cecilia served as a translator for church services, providing non Korean-speaking church attendees with access to the teaching in church sermons. She also served as a court interpreter, where she was especially attentive to cases involving the vulnerable and those with limited means. She offered her help with grace and compassion, content to serve without seeking the spotlight.

She was never more joyful than when surrounded by her daughters and grandchildren. Even without dramatic gestures, her affection was evident in every smile, every hug, and every kiss she shared with them.

In 2001, she lost her hearing. While pursuing treatment options over many months, she was lovingly supported and cared for by her extended family, most notably her nephew Louis Hau, her sister-in-law, Young Hau, as well as her older sister, Chanhee, who came from Korea and lovingly took care of her for many months. She received a cochlear implant in 2002. In subsequent years, Cecilia faced increasing additional health challenges with much support from friends and family. She passed away on Sunday, September 28, 2025, with her daughters by her side.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Dr. Kwang Sik Choi, and her two daughters and sons-in-law, Tina (Henry Woo) and Adela (Jonathan Aukeman), as well as three beloved grandchildren, Olivia Woo, Edward Woo and Elise Aukeman. She is also survived by her two older sisters, Chanhee Hur and Eunhee Hur, her sister-in-law Young Hau, her cousin Dr. Maehee Kim, as well as many beloved nephews and nieces in Korea and in the United States. She was predeceased in death by her older brother, Dr. Andrew Jong Chol Hau.

A visitation will be held at the National Funeral Home, located at 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA, 22042, on Friday, October 3, 2025. The visitation will take place from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, with a live stream available at https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/c25096392944075, beginning promptly at 5:30 pm.

The funeral service will follow at the same location from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. It will also be live-streamed at the same URL.

A committal service will be held at the National Memorial Park, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, VA, 22042, on Sunday, October 5, 2025, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm.