Richard Jung Obituary

Richard Lee Kuen Jung, 95, of Woburn, and formerly of Arlington, Massachusetts, passed away on September 30, 2024.
Richard was born May 30, 1929, in Rochester, NY, the son of Lim Tew Jung and Hong Tak-Yuen Jung.
Richard graduated from Jefferson High School in 1947, then went on to Cornell University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Education. He subsequently earned a Master of International Affairs at Columbia University in 1955; a Master of Arts in Regional Studies - East Asia in 1969 and a PhD in History and East Asian Languages in 1979 at Harvard University.
Richard joined the United States Air Force in 1951, graduated from Officer Candidate School earning the rank of Second Lieutenant, and served until honorably discharged in 1953. He was on an Army troop ship headed to Korea when the armistice was signed that ended the fighting in Korea.
Richard married Miriam Harrison on October 22, 1966 in Vientiane, Laos, where he was serving as the General Services Officer at the United States Embassy and she as the Embassy Nurse. They were married 40 years until her death in 2007. Son Timothy was born in 1968 and Jonathan in 1973.
Richard worked as a paralegal at W.R. Grace in Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1978 until his retirement in 1998. Prior to that, he served in the United States Foreign Service from 1955 to 1967 with assignments in Seoul, Korea; Taichung, Taiwan; Washington, DC and Vientiane, Laos.
Richard especially loved the opera. He recorded many operas from public television broadcasts and shared them regularly at Country Club Heights Assisted Living Apartments in Woburn, where he lived for almost 25 years. He also organized trivia games, interfaith holiday services and other events.
Richard was a kind and caring soul, a loving father and devoted husband. With his easy- going manner and eternal smile, he quickly made new friends wherever he went. He took great delight in learning new things, and he loved sharing with others everything he learned. He had a zen-like ability to take everything in stride, and handled all situations with grace and dignity. He enjoyed life immensely. And he always put others before
himself. For those who loved him, he will be deeply missed.
Remaining to cherish Richard's memory are his sister-in-law Dama (Zefers) Jung; children, Timothy Jung and his wife Shelly of Superior, Nebraska and Jonathan Jung and his partner Consuala Costales of North Andover, Massachusetts; granddaughter, Lydia Jung of North Adams, Massachusetts; nieces Marcia Smith-Hill of Kingston, Washington, Kiran Coyote of Eugene, Oregon, Susan Jung of San Mateo, California and
grand-niece Heidi Rittershausen of Walnut Creek, California; and nephews, Peter Jung of Concord, Massachusetts, Christopher Jung of Billerica, Massachusetts, Adam Jung of Owego, New York, Eric Jung of Rochester, New York, James McKenzie of Haslett, Michigan and David McKenzie.
Preceding Richard in death are wife, Miriam Harrison Jung; parents, Lim Tew Jung and Hong Tak-Yuen Jung; brothers, Lee Hing Jung, Lee Che Jung, Fred Jung, George Jung, and Harry Jung; sisters, Lee Ong (Jung) Smith and Lee Kew (Jung) McKenzie; and niece Nancy (Jung) Thomas.
Visiting Hours will be held in the Keefe Funeral Home, 5 Chestnut Street, Arlington, on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024, from 4 thru 8 PM. A funeral service will be held in the funeral home, Wednesday, October 9th at 10 AM. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Interment will be private. For obituary, directions or to send a condolence visit www.keefefuneralhome.com.