Sung T Choi

DALLAS- Sung T. Choi, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on January 14, 2025, at the age of 91. Born on December 11, 1933, in Korea, Sung lived a rich and full life, and is deeply mourned by those who had the privilege of knowing him. Sung’s journey began in the tumultuous backdrop of war-torn Korea. At 12 years old, he traveled to Seoul from North Korea on his own, a choice that would shape his future and set the foundation for his family’s American dream. In 1975, he and his family immigrated to the United States, initially settling in Pennsylvania. In recent years, he moved to North Carolina to fulfill his dream of building a home by the water. On May 25, 1964, Sung married the love of his life, Byung Choi. The officiant for their union was a four-star general in Seoul, Korea, and they celebrated with the backdrop of a Korean Marine Corps band. They enjoyed 61 years together. As a young man, Sung worked as a ship engineer in the Korean Marine Corps. Aside from in Korea, he received Marine Corps training in Okinawa, Japan, at the Camp Lejeune Military Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and Naval Station Norfolk in Norfolk, Virginia. He was a passionate woodworker and a gifted gardener, finding joy in carefully crafted beauty from nature. He had a playful sense of humor and was known for his love of spicy food. He traveled extensively during his time as a marine engineer, and spent the last few decades of his life exploring the world with his wife. Sung was a devoted family man, whose greatest joy came from his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his son, Jonathan Flagg-Choi, and his wife Tara; his daughter, Yung Mi Choi, and her husband, Tim; his grandson, Marcus Laurens Riedler; and his granddaughter, Pallas Catenella West, and her husband, Gavin. He will be laid to rest under one of his favorite trees—a red maple—in the place he always dreamed of building a home. The family invites friends and loved ones to celebrate Sung’s remarkable life at a funeral service to be held on January 19, 2025, at 10 AM at the Clay Barnette Funeral Home in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.