Dr. Do Sup Chung

Dr. Do Sup Chung passed away unexpectedly on February 19, 2012 in Birmingham, AL, with his loving wife, Okkyung Kim Chung, and daughters, Clara Chung Fleisig and Josephine Chung, at his bedside. Do Sup’s amazing life began March 20, 1935 in Incheon, South Korea. He was the third of four sons of Tai-Hyun Chung and Ipoon Kim, growing up in Korea under Japanese occupation, World War II, and the Korean War. Do Sup attended Kyunggi Middle and High Schools in Seoul, South Korea, where he made lifelong friends. He came to America in 1954, earning his B.S. degree in 1958 from Purdue University in Chemical Engineering. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Grain Science, respectively, from Kansas State University (KSU). The Chung-Pfost Equation developed in his dissertation is still used in academics and private industry throughout the world for optimizing water content in grain storage. Professor Chung served on faculty at KSU in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering for 38 years (1965-2003) and served as Professor Emeritus since 2003. He served as faculty advisor for the KSU Korean Student Association for 30 years and for the KSU Native American Student Association. Dr. Chung published more than 200 scientific papers in grain storage and processing and food processing engineering. He was a member of the International Society of Biological & Agricultural Engineering (ISBAE), American Association of Cereal Chemists International (AACCI), and Institute of Food Technology (IFT). Through his work with USAID, Professor Chung provided technical assistance on grain postharvest technology in 25 countries within Africa, Asia, Central and South America. He won numerous awards and honors, including outstanding educator awards from the President of Korea, ISBAE, AACCI, and KSU.

Do Sup married Okkyung Kim on November 22, 1961 in Manhattan, KS. They lived in Manhattan for the first 48 years of their marriage, before moving to Birmingham, AL in 2009. Dr. Do Sup Chung and Dr. Okkyung Kim Chung raised their two daughters, Clara and Josephine, to follow in their parents’ footsteps, achieving doctoral degrees (in medicine and psychology, respectively). His greatest joy was to see his daughters get married (Clara to Glenn Fleisig of Birmingham, AL; Josephine to Mark Putaski of St. Paul, MN) and to watch his four wonderful grandchildren (Emily and Julia Fleisig; Benjamin and Eleanor Putaski) be born and share in their activities as they grew older. Do Sup and Okkyung celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2011. Together, they loved to cheer on their Kansas State Wildcats, play poker and the slots, travel the world, discuss politics but mostly relish every moment they spent with their grandchildren.

Do Sup is survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons-in-law, four grandchildren, two brothers (Nam Sup and Youngsup) and their wives, and 21 nieces and nephews. Dr. Do Sup Chung touched the lives of family, friends, and students, and will be deeply missed by everyone.

The family will be receiving friends Tuesday, February 21 at Southern Heritage Funeral Home and Cemetery in Pelham, Alabama from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 at 3:30 PM at the Southern Heritage Funeral Home and Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Chung-Kim Scholarship Fund in the Dept. of Biological & Agricultural Engineering or to the Dr. Do Sup Chung Scholarship for International Students at Kansas State University (800-432-1578). The obituary guestbook may be found at www.dignitymemorial.com\4394.

n Heritage Funeral Home, Pelham, AL.