Welcome family and friends:
My name is David Kim. I am the first of my halmoni’s- 8 grandchildren. Not going to lie this has been tough to write, so many memories, emotions and thoughts have populated my mind the last couple of days. However looking back, I feel so incredibly lucky to have had my loving halmoni with me for 25 years.

On paper, my halmoni was a mother, sister, wife, friend and a grandmother. But she was so much more than that. To me, my halmoni was a fighter, a believer, a perfectionist, a role model, a successful businesswomen and to me an unconditionally loving grandmother. Although she struggled toward the end of her journey, I always thought of my halmoni as immortal. She represented so much, wore so many hats, I just simply never thought this day would come.

For me what hurts the most is how much she loved, deeply and fully, all walks of life. Whether it be a grandma in another room, a server at a restaurant or my girlfriend, Julie. She was the kind of person who just had more love in her heart for the more people who joined our lives.

What’s gotten us through the past few days are the stories we have all shared reliving those moments where we laughed or cried with halmoni. Unselfishly she is obviously in a better place now and I am thankful for that, but selfishly I wish I could go back to the days where she would rock me to sleep growing up while she let me play with her hair (let me tell you she would love to anyone and everyone about my embarrassing hair fetish; which she taught me) or to when we would go to lunch specials in Korea town (Kobawoo House was our favorite)…. or to the times my cousins and I would spend every day in the summers playing soccer (kimz vs. cheese its; if you know you know) as well as swim in her pool while she cheerfully ended up cooking these feasts for dinner which she sourced from her own garden. (By the way if you wondered why everyone was overweight growing up except John now you know why.) But these were only a snapshot of the millions of smiles, laughs, tears and exchanges we have experienced with halmoni.

Halmoni I want you to know that this is only a see you later and not a good bye. In the end I will never be able to express my gratitude for who she was as a person and how much love she poured onto me and my family. We all know she is in a better place now and I know that the Kim and Spann families will make her oh so proud. On behalf of the Kim family, I would like to cordially thank you for showing your respect in celebrating the beautiful life of my dearest halmoni, Sheman Kim. But before I end, I would like all of us to stand… close our eyes, picture your favorite image or memory of my halmoni and throw up a Korean heart with your finger in her direction. Rest in peace and enjoy paradise, we will all eventually be reunited again. I love you.