Yong Dam Kim

Yong Dam Kim passed away peacefully on December 7, 2025, at the age of 87. He is remembered for the steadfast love he gave his family and friends, and for the compassion and care he extended to all throughout his life.

Yong was born on July 18, 1938, in North Korea to his father, Hong G. Kim, and his mother, Byung O. Yoon. He came from a family of politicians and lawyers, but when the Korean War began, he and his family left everything behind and escaped to South Korea. He was educated in Seoul and graduated with a law degree from Korea University in 1961. After graduation, he met and fell in love with his wife, Myung Ja Kim, and together they raised two daughters, Jong Kim and Soo Kim.

Yong built a joyful and fulfilling life for his family in the United States, beginning in 1974, where they lived in Severna Park, Maryland, and later in Dallas, Texas. He was especially fond of his years in Maryland. He loved being close to the Severn River and the Atlantic Ocean and often took his family on weekend trips to the shore. He enjoyed treating loved ones to meals at Phillip’s Seafood in Harborplace and at the many family owned crab houses that gave Baltimore its charm. An avid soccer player in both his youth and adulthood, he continued playing well into his 50s. When he could no longer run the soccer fields as he once had, he turned his passion for sports toward golf.

Yong’s greatest virtues were his intelligence, resilience and kindness. He survived the Korean War, rebuilt his life in South Korea, and rebuilt it once again in the United States. He was devoted to his family and worked wholeheartedly to ensure his daughters received an excellent education. He was immensely proud that Soo graduated from Yale University and that Jong graduated from Vassar College and the University of Texas School of Law. He read the newspaper daily and closely followed political events around the world. He and Myung raised their daughters to respect others and to consider how their actions could benefit society as a whole. Having witnessed the devastation of war, he believed strongly in the importance of education and democratic principles. He was honored to be an American and a U.S. citizen. He often approached U.S. servicemen to thank them personally for their service, remembering the kindness they showed him during the Korean War. He always had a soft spot for the underdog and helped those in need without hesitation.

During his retirement, Yong enjoyed playing golf, reading, traveling with his family and exploring the beauty of both America and abroad, sharing weekly lunches with his wife and friends, and participating in fellowship with members of his church, Dallas Yonhap Church. He was especially fond of state and national parks, with Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon among his favorites. In his early 80s, he felt a strong desire to revisit Big Bend National Park, a place that had long held his admiration. He navigated the eight hour drive from Dallas using his faithful paper road atlas, never quite convinced that the GPS in his SUV knew better than he did. When he arrived at the Chisos Mountain Lodge—unaware that rooms are often booked months in advance—his warmth and genuine love for Big Bend made such an impression that, despite being fully booked, the staff miraculously found a room for him. It was a moment that reflected his sense of adventure and his enduring love for the world and those around him.

Yong was preceded in death by his father, Hong G. Kim; his mother, Byung O. Yoon; and his two older sisters, Yong Suk Kim and Yong Ja Kim. He is survived by his loving wife, Myung Ja Kim; his daughter, Jong Kim, and her husband, Austin Kozman; his daughter, Soo Kim, and her husband, Paul Martinelli; and his grandchildren, Davis Kozman, Kate Kozman, Matthew Martinelli, and Andrew Martinelli.

In his passing, we take comfort in the vision that “night will be no more… for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). Yong will be laid to rest at Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park in Dallas, Texas, embraced forever by God’s eternal light and peace.