A Lansing legend who performed the first successful open heart surgery in mid-Michigan, renowned heart surgeon and generous philanthropist Dr. Seong Hae Chi died peacefully on May 4, 2024 at his home in Holt, Michigan.
Dr. Chi was born on March 13, 1929 in South Korea and was an academic achiever throughout his high school years. He graduated from Kyung-Pook National University in South Korea with a Doctor of Medicine degree in May 1950. Upon graduation, he served in the Republic of Korea Army as a military surgeon and achieved the rank of Major before completing his military obligation in 1956.
On April 22, 1954, Dr. Chi married Dr. Ki Whan Oh in South Korea, an otolaryngology resident at the time. On October 5, 1955, their only child, John, was born in South Korea. In 1956, Dr. Chi immigrated alone to the United States for further surgical training. He completed a one year internship and four year general surgery residency at Fairview General Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1957, Dr. Oh joined him in Cleveland and in 1961, their son joined them and the family of three moved to Lansing, Michigan where Dr. Chi commenced a thoracic surgery residency at Ingham Medical Center. In 1963, Dr. Chi continued his training in Toronto, Canada and completed two years as a fellow in cardio-thoracic surgery at Toronto Children’s Hospital and St. Michael’s Hospital.
Towards the end of 1965, Dr. Chi returned to Ingham Medical Center and set up an experimental laboratory and was instrumental in establishing an open heart surgical program. In September 1966, he performed the first successful open heart surgery in Lansing, Michigan. In 1969, Dr. Chi, together with Dr. Art Stanley, Dr. Calvin Blair and Dr. William Webber, were founding partners in what would become the Thoracic Cardiovascular Institute (TCI). A gifted thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon and an extraordinary gentleman, Dr. Chi was a distinguished pioneer in cardiac surgery in the mid-Michigan area. Gentle, intuitive and a consummate professional, patients came from great distances to be cared for by him, and his reputation was far reaching. His reassuring presence was coveted by Ingham Medical Center employees and by his medical colleagues. His exceptional skills as a physician and surgeon were legendary, and his warm personality endeared him to patients and co-workers alike. An icon to those who knew him, he was a man of creative energy and great surgical integrity.
Dr. Chi was a man widely respected. He served as president of the Kyung-Pook Medical Alumni Association of America in 1980. In 1987, Dr. Chi was honored by Ingham Medical Center with the esteemed Healthcare Leadership Award. In 1990, his peers elected him to the presidency of the Korean Medical Association of Michigan. He retired from practice at the end of 1995. From 1995 to 2007, Dr. Chi served as a member of the Board of the Ingham Regional Health Foundation (now known as McLaren Greater Lansing Foundation). In 1999, he was named by the Lansing State Journal as one of the 100 people of the millennium. In 2019, the Lansing 1 Regional Sister Cities Commision presented Dr. Chi with its Global Impact Through Humanitarian Service Award at its 25th Anniversary Celebration of Global Diversity.
Dr. Chi is predeceased by his wife, Dr. Oh, and their son, John, an honors student at Holt High School and a student at Yale University who died in a tragic automobile accident near Holt on May 11, 1975. He is survived by a younger brother in Georgia, a younger sister in California, an older sister in South Korea, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was a regular attendee at Holt United Methodist Church.
Beyond his accomplishments, what set Dr. Chi apart was his humility, kindness, generosity and thoughtfulness. After their son John passed away in 1975, Dr. Chi and Dr. Oh gave generously to establish a library at both Holt High School and Ingham Medical Center in John’s honor. Thirty years later, in 2005, as a result of Dr. Chi and Dr. Oh’s generosity, and in recognition of Dr. Chi’s remarkable achievement in cardiac care, Ingham Medical Center added the Chi Heart and Surgery Center. In 2021, Dr. Chi and Dr. Oh’s contributions were once again recognized when McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital dedicated one of the hospital’s main roads as Chi Drive. None of these accolades changed Dr. Chi as his family and friends will attest that he truly remained humble, kind, generous, and thoughtful throughout his entire life.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 10, 2024 at Holt United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held at the church directly before the service from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Both the Chi and Oh families are filled with immense gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Chi’s friends and community for the outpouring of love, care and support shown to Dr. Chi and his family.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations can be made to:
Holt United Methodist Church (2321 N. Aurelius Road P.O. Box 168 Holt, MI 48842)
John W. Chi Memorial Library at Holt High School
(Holt Public Schools Superintendent's Office 5780 W. Holt Road Holt, MI 48842)
McLaren Greater Lansing Foundation (401 W. Greenlawn Avenue Lansing, MI 48910)
http://www.mclaren.org/lansing-foundation/mclaren-lansing-foundation
A livestream of the service can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/holtumc
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