Whon-jang "Francisco" Park's Obituary
Whon-jang Park was born in the rural town of Namwon in the North Jeolla Province of South Korea. He was the fifth of nine children of Rae-ok Park and Duk-seon Eun. He attended Yonsei University and majored in Business Administration, and bravely served in the Vietnam War as a member of the Korean Army.
Upon his graduation from college, he joined Korea Trade Promotion Corporation (KOTRA) and soon thereafter married fellow Yonsei Eagle Sun-woo Park. With their son Jae-kyun and daughter Jee-young, he traversed the world as he served as Assistant Director of Korea-Australia trade in Sydney, Australia, for four years, and as Director of Korea-India trade in New Delhi, India, for another four years. In 1986, he resigned from KOTRA to pursue his American Dream and immigrated to the United States.
Known for his booming voice and boisterous laughter, Whon-jang loved to sing classical Korean songs, take photographs, and travel, especially to the mountains. He was an avid hiker and outdoorsman, reaching several mountain summits throughout Korea and California. But most of all, he enjoyed being surrounded by his family and share meals and life lessons.
He is survived by his wife Sun-woo and two children and three grandchildren, Avery Park, Benjamin Way, and Gavin Park.
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