Se Kyung Ki
September 27, 1941 - October 8, 2024
Se Kyung Ki, age 83, of Smyrna, DE, passed away on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.
Born in Korea, on September 27, 1941, he was a son of the late Han Sup and Keum Nam (Song) Ki. Se Kyung worked as the chief mechanic at Miller Metal Fabrication in Bridgeville, DE. He was a founding member and deacon for several years at Smyrna Korean Presbyterian Church and Delaware Church, after serving in many other churches in the United Sates and Korea.
In addition to his parents, Se Kyung was preceded in death by three brothers. He is survived by his loving wife, Keum An (Cho) Ki; children, Tae Ho Ki (SeungHee), and Joshua Jangho Ki (Ji Yeon), and Eun Sung Han (Dae Ho Han); 1 sister; and 8 grandchildren.
A visitation for family and friends will be held from 11 am until 11:30 am on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE, where a funeral service will begin at 11:30 am. Interment will follow in Holy Hill Cemetery, Smyrna, DE.
Youngsoon lee
May his soul rest in peace. I am so sorry for your loss.
Joshua Ki
I miss you, dad..
Tae Ho Ki
Eulogy for My Dad
Honestly, I never expected that you would leave us so suddenly, Dad. Watching you grow thinner over time, I thought you were simply becoming an old man after all those years of being so strong and diligent. But just as you were turning into that white-haired elder, you hurriedly said your goodbye. It still doesn’t quite feel real, but as you might be listening while preparing for your journey, I want to express my heartfelt tribute to you.
Like most children, for us, you, Dad, were always a solid pillar we could rely on, silently receiving all of our complaints. You were that big presence that was always there for us.
I vaguely remember those days from my childhood. Every Christmas, you’d come home after work with a large gift box wrapped in red, filled with treats. We, as kids, would tear into it excitedly without even saying thank you. Now that we have children of our own, I wonder why it was so hard for us to express simple words like “thank you,” “I love you,” or “I’m sorry.” My heart aches when I think about it.
I think of you, Dad, who, well into your middle age, took on the challenge of leading our family—Mom and your three children—across the ocean to America, a land where you didn’t even speak the language. Looking back, I wonder where you found the courage. In my eyes, you were the greatest adventurer, more daring than any pioneer.
I miss your strong shoulders that bore the heavy responsibility of our family and your rough, calloused hands that became more weathered with each passing day. I wish I could embrace you just once more. Thanks to your hard work and bravery, we children grew up without major hardship, each of us forming our own families and establishing firm roots here in the U.S. You bore the burden of immigrant life with your whole being, yet you always looked proud of us as we grew. It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since we immigrated. The little grandchildren you held as babies have grown so much, and we thought we would enjoy many more happy days with you and Mom.
But just as green leaves fall when the seasons change, you, too, have finished your journey on this earth and returned to heaven, as God’s law of nature has ordained. Yes, I realize now—you, too, were a created being like everyone else, a traveler who was merely passing through this world for a short time. Someday, we and our descendants will also finish this brief journey and join you in our heavenly home.
I will forever miss the image of you smiling warmly, always greeting us with open arms whenever we came to visit. I will also miss the sight of you and Mom standing in the front yard, waving us goodbye with your large, rough hands as we left.
As I reflect on my memories and think of all the things I want to say, I realize I could speak about you all day. But since I’ve been given about ten minutes for this speech, I’ll save the rest for when I look up at the sky and think of you. So, I will end here for now.
Just two days before you passed, your younger brother, Uncle Ki,young rok , was also called to heaven in S. Korea. I find comfort in imagining that you two greeted each other with joy, holding hands as you entered heaven together, so I know you are not lonely.
Dad, please rest peacefully in heaven, free from pain. Sing the hymns you loved so much to God every day. We will take care of Mom with all our hearts so she won’t feel the emptiness of your absence until she joins you someday.
Dad, I respect you and I love you so much.
Goodbye, Dad.
From your eldest son, Tae-ho.