Won K. Wood (September 6, 1928 – April 13, 2016)
Won K. Wood, a 50-year resident of the Peninsula area, passed away peacefully and surrounded by her loving family. Born in modern day South Korea, she married Shin-Jong Kyun at the age of 18 and had two children. After losing her husband in the Korean War, she found her way to Incheon and worked at the Wolmido U.S. military base in the mess hall.
There, she met the late Kenneth Wood and in 1966 they married and re-located to Hampton, VA. Mrs. Wood had a knack for hospitality, which she turned into a successful career of managing restaurants and bars with her husband. Importantly, she was a pioneer for Korean Americans in the area, acting as an ambassador, translator and friend for an entire generation of Korean immigrants. She possessed a unique gift of helping people assimilate without losing their cultural identity.
A consummate hostess, she thrived on providing nourishment and hospitality to all of her friends and guests. She was an avid traveler, dancer, singer, but most importantly had unending devotion to her family.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 1993. She is survived by her son, Hyon (Paul) and his wife Sun (Sophia); and daughter Sue and her husband Richard Moriki; grandchildren, Paul Shin and his wife Sarah Henn, Liz and her husband Christopher Gibson, Karl Shin and his wife Christine, Kim and her husband Nick Lonigro, Thomas An and his wife Karen, and Nobuko Takaki; great-grandchildren, Alexandria, Adeline, Henry, Eyan, Catherine, Olivia, Ashley, Sadie, Penelope and Julian.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at 5 PM at Young Kwang Presbyterian Church, 62 Hudgins Road, Poquoson, VA 23662.