Soo was born on October 24, 1936 in Korea to Kwan Ho and Byung Hee (Min) Kim. After having to flee from communist armies as a child and leave what became North Korea, he and his family settled in what became South Korea. He attended the prestigious Seoul National University where he fell in love with physics and ultimately earned the top score on a national exam which allowed him to apply for programs abroad. He earned his PhD degree in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and subsequently moved to Deep River, Ontario, to work at Chalk River Laboratories, for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Just prior to this he worked in Guelph, Ontario, where he fortuitously met Un Whan Lee. They married on August 22, 1970 and raised one son, Robert.
Soo researched vacancy formation and properties and took great pride in his work and collaboration with many colleagues at AECL. He and Un Whan served as permanent local hosts for countless visiting scientists and their families from South Korea over his nearly thirty-year career. They also greatly enjoyed an active lifestyle, playing tennis in the summer and playing squash and cross-country skiing in the winter. They walked many evenings through the town, stopping often to catch up on the latest news at the Deep River Public Library. After his retirement, Soo and Un Whan settled in Richmond Hill in the Greater Toronto Area.
He is survived by his wife Un Whan; and his son Robert, daughter-in-law Kelly, and grandson Galen—all of New York City. He was preceded in death by his father Kwan Ho, his mother Byung Hee, his brother Soo Chul, and his sister Soo Jung. A private virtual service for the family will be held on Saturday, May 1st.
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