In Loving Memory of Chong Hui (Kim) Daugherty

A Life of Strength, Love, and Resilience

Chong Hui (Kim) Daugherty, beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully at her home in Cerritos, CA on February 28, 2025, where she had lived since 1979. She was 85 years old. She was preceded in death by her parents, Sin Jun Kim and Sobun Lee; younger brother; and husband James (Jim) Daugherty. Kim is survived by her four children: daughter Jeannie Daugherty and husband Gene, son Mark Daugherty and wife Christine, daughter Connie, daughter Michelle Daugherty and husband Cedric; and grandchildren Chloe, Max, Jenalyn, Emily and Evan.

Childhood In South KoreaKim’s story is one of extraordinary strength and selflessness. Born on a small island off the coast of South Korea, she and her family were forced to flee to the mainland at a young age. Life was not easy growing up during the end of World War II and Kim experienced unspeakable traumas, including witnessing her village members tortured and killed by Japanese soldiers, watching her village burn down, and fleeing her childhood home in the middle of the night to escape capture. Even in the most difficult times, including surviving the atrocities of war and widespread famine that came afterwards, Kim never wavered in her love and responsibility toward her family.

She raised her 4 younger siblings and took on the role of caretaker while her mother Sobun Lee ran the family restaurant. She sacrificed her own opportunity to attend high school so that her siblings could afford to complete their higher education and go on to become successful adults. One of her brothers went on to build a successful CPA firm in Korea -- a testament to the impact of her resilience and dedication.

As a teenager, she began helping her mother manage the family restaurant and would sell snacks and cigarettes to the Korean soldiers stationed outside her town. It was through these experiences that Kim developed her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen from a young age. These skills would help her later in life as a single mother and business owner in America, running a restaurant bar in Southern California on her own while raising her children in the 1960’s through the 1990’s.

A Legacy of Hard Work and Determination

Kim was an entrepreneur in her early 20s as she was the de facto parent after her mother passed away, leaving her to care for her siblings. Kim met and had her oldest daughter when she met Douglas Hall who was stationed in Seoul. Later she met and married James (Jim) Daugherty in 1970 when he was stationed in Seoul, South Korea as an officer in the US Army. Again, Kim made sacrifices in the name of her family, leaving her siblings and childhood home of South Korea to join her husband Jim and move to the U.S., where they raised their four children together until his passing in 2012.

Her journey to the United States was driven by her desire to create a better life for her family. She worked tirelessly when first immigrating to the United States, working various factory jobs throughout the 1970’s in the developing suburbs of Southern California. Her and Jim bought their first house, a small fixer upper in Norwalk, California, which she renovated in the evenings after work and sold for a profit, allowing them to go on and purchase additional homes with the profits. She was a house flipper long before HGTV popularized the concept, and had an innate, self-taught business savvy that she honed throughout her life that afforded her and her family a level of financial freedom. Her greatest joy in life was providing for her family and ensuring that their lives would be more comfortable and easier than her own.

Although she would rarely tell them directly, she was fiercely proud of her childrens’ many accomplishments, often bragging about Jeannie’s world travels and successful career as a teacher, Mark’s various business ventures, Connie’s “good County job” as a social worker, or Michelle’s fashion sense and good looks (which she made sure everyone knew came directly from her, of course!). Kim’s personality was truly larger than life, and she could accurately be described as 4 feet 11 inches and 92 pounds of pure spitfire.

A Life Well-Lived

Retirement in the 1990’s allowed Kim to embrace the things she loved most -- maintaining her garden and prized collection of Japanese bonsai trees at her Cerritos home of over 45 years; caring for a variety of animals (mainly cats, birds and a mallard duck named Jabi who was her constant companion for nearly 10 years); and socializing with her close-knit circle of church friends. A lifelong busy body until her final days, Kim also acquired a world-class, lifetime collection of grocery store bags, produce ties and napkins, earning her the affectionate nickname of “Smoarder” (smart hoarder) from her children.

Kim was also known for her trademark mashup phrases, like “goolusheee” (when something tastes really good). However, perhaps nothing embodies her spirit more than her iconic phrase, “thing-stuff” -- a catch-all term for anything and everything. It became a part of her legacy, a reminder of her resourcefulness, humor, and the unique way she saw the world.

Kim’s personality was as strong as her will -- unyielding, intelligent, and always a few steps ahead. She had an uncanny, almost mystical ability to assess situations, foresee outcomes, and offer wisdom that often proved right. She was fiercely independent, not afraid to do things her way, and never backed down from a challenge. She had an unbelievably strong work ethic and what might today be considered old fashioned values; she believed in working hard, saving even harder, and never spending beyond your means.

As a result, she would sometimes be judged by strangers because she was the opposite of flashy - she would rather wear worn, mismatched clothing that was comfortable than designer clothing, and she drove a brown, 30 year old 1985 Ford station wagon until voluntarily giving up her driver’s license in her 70’s. That station wagon, affectionately referred to as her “tank” was similar in many ways to Kim - strong, solid, and reliable, albeit a little outdated at times. There were no frills and no luxury bells or whistles and it wasn’t the newest or best looking car on the block. It definitely had some dents and dings acquired over its lifetime, but it did its job and got you where you needed to go, safely and securely. It was trustworthy where it mattered, and didn’t ask for much other than regular oil changes and a bit of quality gas.

Kim Daugherty’s life was one of sacrifice, resilience, and deep love for her family. Though she will be deeply missed, her strength and spirit live on in the countless lives she touched.

Memorial & Funeral Services

A Celebration of Kim Daugherty’s Life will be held at:

Forest Lawn Cypress4471 Lincoln AveCypress, CA 90630(888) 204-3131

Visitation: Thursday, April 3, 2025 and Friday, April 4, 2025 from 11:00am to 7:00pm

Celebration of Life and Internment: Saturday, April 5, 2025 from 2:00pm to 4:15pm

2:00 PM-3:00 PM Celebration of Life

3:00 PM-4:15 PM Internment

4:30 PM Repast at Komi Buffet, 8958 Knott Ave. Buena Park, CA 90620 

A live stream of the service will be available at https://forestlawn.livecontrol.tv/c8a021ea