Hoyoung Daniel Kang

It was destiny that we met so young—only 20 years old—curious, innocent, and full of wonder. We fell in love at first sight. We traveled to so many places together, and although we both loved food, the best part was watching each other eat and laugh. You took me to every good place you knew, simply just to see the joy on my face. I loved seeing your beautiful face just as much. You were—and still are—the most perfect, handsome man. Everything about you, even your scent, felt as though God had heard my prayers, created you exactly as I had dreamt, and sent you to me. You were passionate and full of warmth, yet calm, resilient, and brilliantly logical when you studied cosmology. My love, did you now discover something new about the origin of the universe or its fate? Has God now revealed something even more wondrous to you?

Our fate began the day my sister brought her friends to hang out. Among everyone there, all I saw was that one beautiful man. Our love burst open like Dark Energy—the mysterious force of the universe you once explained to me so patiently and lovingly. There were moments when we got distant and difficult, but we were always pulled back together very soon, like the Galaxies of the Universe. You were endlessly sweet, warm, and irresistible.

You were such a caring husband and an incredible father. When it came to big decisions in our lives, I always followed you because you always had strong instincts and thoughtful plans. Every morning, you touched my cheek and said, “Good morning, beautiful.” Every night, you would tuck me in with a goodnight kiss and give gentle foot massages, your warm hands bringing comfort and peace. Then you would go to our baby, Sungtaek Michael, and tuck him into bed with such love. You slept with the baby on two mattresses placed together—our little one in the 99th percentile for weight—always crawling onto your belly and falling asleep there. That was his favorite spot, as soft and comforting as a cloud.

My Dear,

The coffee you brewed was the best. And your silly dances, the strange noises you made like a playful child—those moments were my favorites of all. You always us first—well, almost. I could never quite compete with your love for physics. You are the love of my life. Your wife and your son are surrounded by your soul, by Jesus, and by the most beautiful friends and family we share.

— Respectfully, Your Wife, Seajin Michaela

For as long as I can remember, my brother loved the stars. As a child, he dreamed of becoming an astronaut, a dream that naturally evolved into studying cosmology. In his final years, he devoted himself to understanding massive cosmic explosions occurring within the thick disks of gas and stars that surround supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies. There was something deeply profound about his love and dedication to understanding the universe. He was a dreamer—his mind reached beyond what is already known, always searching past what is visible to the naked eye.

To me, he was not just a brother who found endless ways to get on my nerves, but also the one who guided me through life. He never allowed himself to be limited. He always searched for more, because he believed there could be more—and that there is more. To me, and I hope to everyone else, he will always be remembered as a man who lived by the belief that possibilities are endless, and that we should always look beyond.

— Your Sister Sylvia

You searched the heavens for truth,

Tracing the origins of light and time.

Yet your greatest discovery was faith—

That love endures beyond the stars.

Now you rest in God’s embrace,

Where mysteries are made clear,

And peace is eternal.

In your wife’s smile you found joy,

In your son’s laughter you found hope.

Though your earthly journey is complete,

Your love remains, woven into their days.

May God’s gentle hand guide them,

Until they are reunited with you

In His eternal home.

We stood side by side in life—

Best men, brothers in spirit.

Your friendship was a gift beyond measure,

Your faith a light that guided me too.

I promise to walk beside your son,

To share your love, your wisdom, your joy,

Until we meet again in Christ.

Lord, receive my brother into Your kingdom,

Where sorrow is no more,

And every tear is wiped away.

Grant his family strength,

And let his memory be a blessing

That draws us closer to You.

— With deepest love, your best friend of 23 years, Jong Park

Dear Hoyoung,

I will never forget the first time I heard your voice. I was sitting

in the main physics office, next door to that of the graduate student

advisor, and you were pleading with him to be given a second chance to

enter our graduate program, after a first difficult time around. In

your voice there was an almost desperate desire to do physics research,

and in that moment I knew I wanted to give you that second chance.

Your passion and dedication to research more than compensated me for

taking a chance on you. You are the kind of student who makes a

professor feel like the time they have invested in them is worth

every moment.

But I also learned from you more than you may ever have realized. You

showed me a remarkable strength and courage during profoundly

challenging times. Even in recent months, when I wrote to ask how you

were doing, you replied by saying that you were staying strong and

hoping to bring 'me' good news. Your grace, generosity, and

thoughtfulness—especially in the hardest moments—have left an

indelible mark on me.

You belong to the stars. I wish you could have stayed longer on Earth

to study them from afar, but instead you have gone closer to them. I

am certain that you are already wondering which ones will explode as gamma-ray bursts!

Until we meet again among the stars,

Your Stony Brook research advisor,

Rosalba Perna