Samuel Son

Samuel Son was born on June 15, 1936 in Korea. During the Korean War, he became separated from his mother and younger sister, never to see them again. As a young man, he learned English by listening to the American Armed Forces radio broadcasts. He graduated from a Methodist theological seminary in Seoul, and then came to the United States in the early 1960's, when he enrolled at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. He met his wife, Nancy, and married in 1965. He received a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1966 and a Masters in Divinity degree in 1972, both from Iliff. After moving to the Chicago area, he started a printing business, publishing newspapers for local high schools and colleges. While running the printing business, he established his own church in 1984, the DuPage Korean United Methodist Church in Naperville, Illinois. He soon left the printing business and went into ministry full-time, becoming an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church in 1987. He continued his theological studies, receiving a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1991. He served the DuPage church for 11 years, during which time he wrote seven books. He suffered a severe stroke in 1996, forcing his retirement from the ministry. Samuel and Nancy moved to North Carolina in 2002, then to Plano, Texas in 2012. During his lifetime, Samuel enjoyed fishing, writing, playing chess and table tennis, and watching his beloved Chicago Cubs. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, his daughter Paula, his son David, and five grandchildren. A memorial service honoring Samuel's life will be held on Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 7:30 PM at Mosaic Christian Fellowship, 571 Lakeridge Dr., Fairview, Texas 75069. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 AM Friday, April 3, 2015 at Ridgeview Memorial Park, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013.