Chungcha Lee

On the night of April 15, 2025, Chungcha Lee of Cerritos, California, passed through the Gates of Heaven to be with the Lord Jesus and in the embrace of her beloved husband, Elder Manil Lee.  Mrs. Lee passed away peacefully in the loving company of her two daughters, Lily and Grace.  A short bedside prayer was offered by her spiritual advisor, Pastor Chung Sung Oh of the Heavenly Joyous Church of La Mirada, and his wife, Grace Oh.  Mrs. Lee had lived a happy, full and vibrant life of 93 years.

Mrs. Lee was born in Pusan, South Korea, on April 1, 1932, to her father, Duk Hang Kim, and mother, Young Sook Lee.  She grew up in a happy, if busy, home.  She was the oldest of five children, surrounded by her brother, Suk Soo (Richard) Kim, and her sisters, Uncha (Angela) Park, Chicha (Christine) Hahn, and In Soon Lee.  In her youth, Mrs. Lee was a popular, energetic and bright student, enjoying the challenges of her studies, the company of her many childhood friends and her many schoolgirl activities.

Mrs. Lee immigrated to the United States in 1952 shortly after her marriage to an American soldier, Abraham C.K. Pak, by whom she had her two daughters, Lily and Grace, and two sons, Alvin and Andrew.  She and Abraham divorced while her children were all in grade school, leaving her to raise and provide for them almost entirely on her own.  To do so, Mrs. Lee attended evening classes and community college, taking courses in English, typing, data processing, and finance.  Armed with this limited education, she relied on her determination and energy to begin a lifelong career in the banking industry, starting as a data keypunch operator for the United States Federal Reserve Bank, then joining United California Bank (later First Interstate Bank) as an entry-level bank teller, steadily moving up through the ranks to become a branch operations manager and ultimately retiring as a Regional Corporate Vice President.  While her life was sometimes difficult and marked by hardships of many kinds, her children will tell you she always persevered and rarely complained.  Inspired by her example, support and love, they all graduated from college and, following in her footsteps, enjoyed their own successful careers.  Mrs. Lee was a loving, proud mother, yet when her children recount their stories and memories of her, you cannot escape the sense that they were even more proud of her and loved her more than she did them.

In addition to providing for her own small family and after having earned American citizenship, Mrs. Lee paved the way for the family she had left behind in South Korea to immigrate to the United States.  Her sisters Uncha and Chicha joined her in California in the late 1960s, followed by her brother Suk Soo, her youngest sister In Soon, and eventually both of her parents.  Her siblings became model immigrants; as with Mrs. Lee, they overcame the hardships of leaving full lives and all they had known behind in Korea, worked hard, married and created their own families and legacies.

During a brief second marriage, Mrs. Lee began attending church services with her then husband.  Although the marriage soon ended, Mrs. Lee found what would become an enduring faith in the Lord Jesus.  From that point on, she was a devout Christian and this devotion led her to the love of her life, Elder Manil Lee, who became her third husband.  They set up house in Cerritos shortly after their marriage and Mrs. Lee remained in the same house after Mr. Lee’s passing in 2004, living there surrounded by the many photographs and mementoes of their happy life together.  She was an early and devoted member of the Heavenly Joyous Church founded and led by her spiritual advisor, Pastor Chung Sung Oh, and his wife, Grace.  Beyond her membership in his congregation, Mrs. Lee thought of and loved the Pastor and his family as her own “second family,” delighting in their attention, accomplishments and love.  As she endured the ailments brought on by age, the Pastor and his family were always nearby and the happiness and joy she found in their kinship and church brought Mrs. Lee some of her best days and sustained her through some of her worst.

Mrs. Lee is survived by her four children Lily Pak (husband Jonathan), Alvin Pak (wife Lisa), Andrew Pak (wife Maki), and Grace Manues (partner Lee Arnson), her three grandchildren Stephanie Pak, Suzanne Pak and Matthew Pak, her sisters Chicha Hahn and Uncha Park, her nieces Julie Hahn Damle (husband Sagar), Linda Kim, Rose Kim, Andrea Park Joo, and Angela Lee Hyon (husband Samuel), her nephews Milton Hahn, Raymond Park (wife Jennifer) and Abraham Kim, her grandnieces Teak Hahn, Joanna Joo, and Abigail Joo, and her grandnephews Jason Damle and Nicholas Damle.  Although her age and various ailments prevented her from attending more recent family gatherings and celebrations, she thoroughly enjoyed being with her family and sharing stories and news.  She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Suk Soo Kim and her sister In Soon Lee.

Mrs. Lee will be remembered by those closest to her as a happy, confident woman of strong will and intellect, possessed of boundless energy, with a great capacity for compassion, and driven to love, help and protect those around her.  She fully embraced her role and responsibilities as the matriarch of her family and as a Christian.  She was loved by many and will be missed.  May she rest in peace, forever in the embrace of the Lord Jesus and her beloved husband Manil.

A memorial and visitation in observance of Mrs. Lee’s passing will be held on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11, 2025, at Forest Lawn Cemetery in the Cypress Room, 4471 Lincoln Avenue, City of Cypress, California.  Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m., followed by a service at 3:00 p.m.  The family invites relatives and friends to join them for a Mother’s Day celebration, food and refreshments at Mrs. Lee’s home at 13741 Oak Crest Drive in Cerritos, California, at the conclusion of the service.  Mrs. Lee will be interred at Forest Lawn in Cypress, next to her beloved husband Manil later that week.