Young Ja Suh

Young Ja Suh, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, died on April 19, 2025, surrounded by family in Sudbury, Mass., after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Born on February 21, 1936, in what is now North Korea, Young Ja was the eldest child of Keuk-Hyung Surh and Boo-Ja Kim. After her family fled south during the Korean War, she excelled in school, graduating at the top of her class from Kyunggi Girls High School and Ewha Women's University in Seoul. She came to the U.S. in 1958 to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmacology at Tufts University, where she met her future husband, Nam Pyo Suh, a graduate student at MIT.
Married for over six decades, their life together took them from Boston to Pittsburgh, South Carolina, and Korea, before settling in Sudbury, which remained their home for more than 50 years.
Young Ja was the pillar of her family-a quiet force of determination, intelligence, and care. She was the family's C.E.O., fiercely committed to her daughters' education, the success of her husband's career, and the well-being of those around her. Known for her warmth and hospitality, she introduced generations of students and colleagues to Korean food long before it became widely known. She was a voracious reader, a generous host, and, in her later years, a devoted grandmother to seven grandchildren who adored her.
Her family feels her loss deeply and is grateful for the love and legacy she leaves behind.
Private funeral services and burial were held at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the Alzheimer's Association.
Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.