Heather Heekyoung Cho Ph.D.

1952 - 2024

Heather Heekyoung Cho, PhD

April 22, 1952 - September 19, 2024

Raleigh, North Carolina - Heather Heekyoung Cho, 72 passed away in her home on Thursday, September, 19, 2024 in Durham, NC after a six month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her family.

Heather was born Choi Heekyoung on April 22nd,1952 in Seoul, South Korea to Dr. B.A. Choi and W.Y. Yoon into a family with a history of high academic achievement and national service.

In South Korea, she graduated from both Kyung-gi high school and Seoul National University, where she studied pharmacy and Organic chemistry. She went on to earn her PhD in analytical chemistry at the Ohio State University. Throughout her life of achievements, she demonstrated over and over that she loved to surprise the people who underestimated her. As the smallest participant in her middle school class, she won a school wide foot race. Her Mother, who was watching at a distance, said "who's that little girl in front?" only to find out later that it was her own daughter. As a student at Ohio State University and as the only Asian female in a scientific German language class, she stunned her American classmates by achieving the highest marks. She took up golf later in life when she was in her 40's, fell in love with the way golf allowed her to challenge herself, and went on to win multiple club championships.

"I didn't care what other people thought," she said. "Whatever it was, I did my best."

In 1976, she married Dr. Chuck Chulyoung Cho and over 48 years, they built their life together, 45 years of which they spent in America. After marrying Chuck, she moved to Columbus, Ohio as a graduate student in 1977 a full year before her husband joined her after completing his military service.

She supported and encouraged her two sons in their creative and academic pursuits, unconditionally in their respective paths. Her sons attended art school, architectural school, and medical school with her support. The only thing she insisted upon was that her children did things "the right way."

After completing a post-doc at the University of Michigan in 1985, she returned to Columbus, OH and served at Chemical Abstracts Services for 32 years before retiring in 2018. In retirement, she traveled around the world, cultivated relationships in various alumni organizations, looked after her family, and doted on her two young grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband; her two sons, Justin (Jaewon Chung) and Jason (Kaitlin Jones); and two grandchildren. In Korea, she is survived by her brothers, J.I. Choi, G.G. Choi; and her sister, I.K. Choi.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, September 21, 2024 with interment at Raleigh Memorial Park, Raleigh, NC. Arrangements made by Mitchell Funeral Home. www.MitchellatRMP.com