Sa Sik Choo

Sa Sik Choo was born on May 5, 1923 in Seoul, South Korea. She was the fourth born of 10 children of Sook Ja Kim (Mother) and Chun Sik Lee (Father) and was the last surviving of her 9 brothers and sisters when she passed away on New Year’s Eve of 2012. Amazingly, she was part of 5 generations that were all born in the same family house. Her parents, during the time of the Korean occupation prior to the end of World War II had a family sake business. After finishing high school, Sa Sik worked as a nurse in a local hospital, and it was there that she met the love of her life, Young Pil Choo, who was stationed in Seoul, South Korea as part of the overseas contingent in the US Air Force. They were married in Seoul on August 27, 1948. Subsequently, they moved to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1950 when Young Pil was transferred to a new assignment in Hawaii, where he was born and raised. In the course of her life, Sa Sik accompanied Young Pil, who was a special agent in the Office of Special Investigation (OSI) in the US Air Force, on multiple military service assignments to Hawaii, Japan, and Korea and eventually settling in Los Angeles, CA. Sa Sik raised 5 children including two daughters, Pung Ja and Pamaley, as well as three sons, Clifton, Eric and Reggie. The family would accompany Young Pil whenever he was reassigned to a new destination. As the years passed, she welcomed into the family two daughters-in-law (Zohreh and Bernice), a son-in-law (Shane), and 5 grandchildren (Sandy, Betty, Cyrus, Steven and Michael).

Sa Sik spoke fluently in three languages: her native Korean, Japanese, and English. Sa Sik and Young Pil settled in Inglewood California in 1968. She lived in the same home even after Young Pil passed away in 1999. Sa Sik traveled often to Sacramento to visit her children Clifton, Eric and Pamaley as well as her daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, Steven and Michael. Approaching her 90th birthday, Sa Sik was energetic, with a keen mind and good physical health up to her sudden passing on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2012.

She was very generous in supporting various non-profit organizations and often mentioned how proud she was of her family.

Sa Sik is survived by 5 children, 5 grandchildren, 3 nephews and 5 nieces, and will be buried at the Riverside National Cemetery next to her husband, Young Pil, on Friday January 11, 2013.