Nae Kwan Cheung

Born in Japanese-occupied Korea in 1927, Dr. Cheung was raised in a small farming town in the Hwanghae-do province of what is now North Korea. Dr. Cheung did not have an easy childhood; he grew up under oppressive Japanese rule, he came of age during the Second World War, and he escaped from North Korea soon after the demarcation line was established.

In the face of these challenges, Dr. Cheung found a path forward through education. His acceptance to Yonsei University’s College of Medicine, formerly known as Severance Medical College, one of the top medical schools in Korea, in 1945 earned him an exemption from the Japanese Imperial Army. It also qualified him to serve as a doctor at a U.S. field hospital during the Korean War. His service with American medical officers led him to move to the United States in December, 1954; he would live there for the rest of his life, becoming a proud citizen. He never forgot the value his hard-fought education brought him and made sure to pass this lesson down to his children and grandchildren.

Dr. Cheung enjoyed a prestigious medical career in the United States. He began his career at New York City Hospital before completing his residency at Elmhurst General, where he served as Chief Resident in 1958. He received a postgraduate degree in Surgery from Harvard Medical School in 1965. He would spend the rest of his 50- year long career at the VA Medical Center in East Orange, New Jersey, where he served as a General Surgeon, the Chief of General Surgery, the Chief of Surgical Oncology, the Chief of the Cancer Center, and eventually Chief of Surgery. Dr. Cheung was also a Professor of Surgery at UMDNJ for over 30 years, served as the President of the Korean Medical Association in America, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Severance Alumni Association. He retired in 1997.

Dr. Cheung was proud of his professional career, but he was equally fulfilled by his rich family life. He met his wife, Dr. Duck Sang Yun, in 1960 while they worked in hospitals in the New York area. They married in May 1961 and had three children: Raynard, Deborah, and Andrew. In their retirement years, Drs. Cheung became self-described “snowbirds,” living in Livingston, New Jersey during the summer months and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in the winter. He and his wife enjoyed many trips and cruises abroad with their friends. Dr. Cheung loved fishing, golfing, gardening, reading, and spending time with his family. He also wrote an autobiography for his children and grandchildren titled The Journey of My Blessed Life.

Dr. Cheung was predeceased by his beloved wife, Duck Sang, in 2019. He is survived by his family: three children, Raynard, Deborah, and Andrew; two daughters-in -law, Jennifer Aldrich and Meaghan Shevlin; and seven grandchildren, Owen, Ellie, Catherine, Lukas, George, Julian, and Theo. He will be remembered for his impressive career, but he will also be remembered for letting his grandchildren destroy his basement every Christmas, sneaking cookies and candy out of the men’s locker room at the BallenIsles Country Club, and his trademark reassuring hugs accompanied by a simple “okay!” He will be missed.

Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial gathering for Dr. Cheung on Sunday, December 22, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., at Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home, 145 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039. A Memorial Service will follow at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made by check to the Severance Alumni Association in Dr Cheung's name; 26 Wimbledon Drive, Roslyn, NY 11576.

The service will be streamed at the link below. The link can be viewed anytime afterward for a year:

njstreaming.com/cheung