John Suk Chae
John (JangSuk) Chae
March 14, 1931 – November 21, 2021
John (Jang-Suk) Chae went to be with the Lord on Sunday, November 21, 2021, at the age of 90, receiving prayers and support from his family. His battle with a series of medical complications showed his courage to face life’s challenges with complete trust in God. At the Hospice of East Texas, he stated “No more earthly foods, thank you. My next dining experience will be with Jesus. I want the apple Jesus has prepared for me.”
John was born March 14, 1931, in the education center of Chung-Ju Bo-Eun in South Korea. He could not join the armed services during the Korean War because he was the only son in his family for five generations. Instead, he taught himself English and enlisted as a translator for the U.S. Army. In 1954, after the war and shortly after graduating from Emmanuel Theological Seminary, he married UnJa Bae. They were married for 67 years. He is father to Soo-Un (Esther), Soo-Kwon (Karen), Soo-Yul (Nancy), Zani (Jeff Cerny), Susan (Joe Corcoran), grandfather to Samuel (Beth), Daniel (Jodi), Sarah (Zechariah Chiang), Abraham (Mandy), Johnny (Traci), Abl, Ruthie, Allison, Austin, Adam, Jacob, Halie, Ryan, and great-grandfather to Weston, Claire, Hallie, McKenna, Everly, Haddon, and Ahava (with another great grand daughter on the way in March 2022).
He was a faithful family man. To support his family, he started working at the Mennonite Vocation School in Kyung-San in 1958. Then in 1964, he was scouted as the language and cultural interpreter for Compassion International in Seoul before joining the Compassion headquarters in Norridge, Illinois, in 1966. His immigrant life began on Christmas Eve of 1969, as the family of seven arrived in Chicago. Whatever life threw at him during the ensuing years, he prevailed with humility and trust over the challenges. Cancer could not break him. Bankruptcy did not stop him. Instead, he humbly accepted the situation and courageously trusted his Lord.
He encouraged people to work diligently and trust God, modeling the same with his life; whether working at a factory assembly line or his camera shop and dry cleaning stores. In his retirement, he started an organic garden so that he could nourish all of his loved ones. He often marveled at how fast a plant would grow to bear fruit, stating, “This defies all evolutionary theories–for according to such a theory, a fruit would require several billion years to form from a hard seed. But it takes just one season.” In addition, he would have a greater joy from sharing what he harvested with family, church members, and neighbors.
He was a dedicated father and a faithful servant throughout his life. As an elder, he served three churches in the Chicago area, including the Evangelical Church of Chicago, Canaan Church, and the Alliance Fellowship Church. On the day he celebrated his 90th birthday, he moved to JAMA Global Campus in Lindale, Texas. The first photo he sent to his children was of him smiling as he took his bride of 67 years on a moped around the campground.
The following three words can summarize his life. Sacrifice. Resilience. Faith. He sacrificed his youth to provide for his family. Yet, throughout the highs and the lows of life, he maintained resilience, as he faced one challenge at a time. And as long as anyone can remember, he was a man of faith. He shared, challenged, and prayed, that everyone would have a personal encounter with Jesus to put their trust in God.
The visitation will be Sunday, November 28, at Smith Corcoran Funeral Home, 185 E. Northwest Hwy., Palatine, IL 60067, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm with Memorial Service at 5:00 pm. The burial service will be Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at Elm Lawn Memorial Park, 401 E. Lake St., Elmhurst, IL 60126. For more information, please call James Bae 847.359.8020 or Susan Corcoran 630.605.5322
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