On the crisp, sunny morning of January 14, 2026, Kwan Chang went upstairs for a morning nap and passed peacefully in his sleep with his wife, Hae Sook, by his side, in Fairfax, California. It was a million miles away from the life he was born into on August 7, 1941 in Korea. For much of his childhood, Kwan learned to fend for himself, and as a young adult, forged his own path.
After being discharged from the Korean Army in 1965, Kwan pursued his education, graduating from Hanyang Universty in Seoul with a degree in nuclear engineering. Soon thereafter, he embarked on a new life in the United States continuing his graduate studies at Bemidji State University in Minnesota. Most importantly, while studying for his entrance exam, he was introduced to his best friend’s little sister who would become his wife and whose love would be his greatest blessing.
Together, Kwan and Hae Sook moved from Seoul to Minnesota in 1967, then on to San Francisco, and spent nearly 60 years living their own adventure, and creating a family and home seemingly out of thin air. As a child, Kwan had dreamed of becoming a lighthouse keeper, but he found a career that he loved in science and numbers: first working as a computer engineer in Silicon Valley, then dedicating 30 years to the United States Defense Department at the Presidio of San Francisco and ten of those years at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, working on rockets, before returning and retiring to Marin County, California.
Kwan was an avid fisherman, die hard Niners fan, music aficionado, jokester and master storyteller. He was generous in every way, but especially in sharing bits of wisdom and always encouragement to those that needed it. Most of all, he was a devoted family man to Hae Sook and their two daughters, Jenie and Robia. And nothing could compete with the joy and pride brought by his three grandchildren, Emalene (19), Juliet (13), and William (12), who were all fortunate enough to grow up within minutes of their dear grandpa. He loved his sons in law, Benjamin Harwood and David Crisp—truly as the sons he never had. Kwan had a gentle touch with animals and was predeceased by his furry best best friend Bama.
To say that Kwan was a fighter would be a massive understatement as it is impossible to express how extraordinary he was for his time, upbringing, and culture. By sheer will and determination he created and controlled his own destiny. He was so very loved and will be sorely missed by everyone lucky enough to have known him.
After being discharged from the Korean Army in 1965, Kwan pursued his education, graduating from Hanyang Universty in Seoul with a degree in nuclear engineering. Soon thereafter, he embarked on a new life in the United States continuing his graduate studies at Bemidji State University in Minnesota. Most importantly, while studying for his entrance exam, he was introduced to his best friend’s little sister who would become his wife and whose love would be his greatest blessing.
Together, Kwan and Hae Sook moved from Seoul to Minnesota in 1967, then on to San Francisco, and spent nearly 60 years living their own adventure, and creating a family and home seemingly out of thin air. As a child, Kwan had dreamed of becoming a lighthouse keeper, but he found a career that he loved in science and numbers: first working as a computer engineer in Silicon Valley, then dedicating 30 years to the United States Defense Department at the Presidio of San Francisco and ten of those years at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, working on rockets, before returning and retiring to Marin County, California.
Kwan was an avid fisherman, die hard Niners fan, music aficionado, jokester and master storyteller. He was generous in every way, but especially in sharing bits of wisdom and always encouragement to those that needed it. Most of all, he was a devoted family man to Hae Sook and their two daughters, Jenie and Robia. And nothing could compete with the joy and pride brought by his three grandchildren, Emalene (19), Juliet (13), and William (12), who were all fortunate enough to grow up within minutes of their dear grandpa. He loved his sons in law, Benjamin Harwood and David Crisp—truly as the sons he never had. Kwan had a gentle touch with animals and was predeceased by his furry best best friend Bama.
To say that Kwan was a fighter would be a massive understatement as it is impossible to express how extraordinary he was for his time, upbringing, and culture. By sheer will and determination he created and controlled his own destiny. He was so very loved and will be sorely missed by everyone lucky enough to have known him.
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