Jang Yeon Hwang

Jang Yeon (John) Hwang, age 57, peacefully passed away surrounded by his loving family at his home in Lehi, Utah on Thursday, April 27th, 2023 after battling lymphoma. Jang Yeon, the first son of Eui-Si Hwang and Chun-Ja Baek, was born on October 21st, 1965 in Boryeong, Korea.

Jang Yeon grew up in a small country town where he made many childhood friends he remained close to throughout his life. From early on, he was passionate about liberal arts, learning English as a second language and acquiring higher education. In his early twenties, Jang Yeon was intrigued to speak to two missionaries he met in the streets of Ulsan, and was soon baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1987. He was very involved in his church community and served numerous callings in his ward and the bishopric.

Jang Yeon married Youngsun Lee on May 29th, 1994 in Ulsan, Korea. Afterwards, they moved to the US where Jang Yeon attended Brigham Young University to pursue his dreams of studying the English language and becoming an educator. His son, Ryan Inseo and daughter, Dawn were born in Provo, Utah during this time. His two children were his biggest pride and joy. He graduated with a Master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) then moved back to Korea in 2000 to care for his parents.

Jang Yeon was dedicated to providing the best education and opportunities for his children, even if it meant making a challenging sacrifice. As such, he chose to send his family back to the US in 2007 while he remained in Korea to provide for them. His decision exemplified his selflessness and unwavering commitment to his family’s success. He lived apart from his family for 15 years while working as a professor at Inha Technical College and Bucheon University. After a significant amount of time apart, Jang Yeon was thrilled to relocate to the US and reunite with his family. He settled in a beautiful home in Lehi, Utah, where he cherished spending quality time with loved ones, reading in his study, and tending to his garden.

Jang Yeon was a natural when it came to athletics and loved participating in various sports. He thoroughly enjoyed hiking, skiing, weight lifting, and especially playing golf. As an avid golfer, he devoted any free time he had on perfecting his swing. In addition, he was a master in Taekwondo holding a 4th degree black belt. He competed in numerous competitions and taught classes at BYU.

Jang Yeon took great pride in being the eldest son and held a deep sense of responsibility for his family. He found immense joy in supporting and witnessing his younger siblings succeed throughout their lives. He was not just a brother, but a father figure and role model to them. His caring nature extended to providing for his parents as well.

Jang Yeon loved his family more than anything and always put them first and foremost. His selfless, compassionate nature had a profound impact and positive influence not only on his family but on everyone else who knew him. He had a strong commitment to self-improvement and held himself to a very high standard. He is known for his warm personality, charisma and lighthearted humor. He is very beloved and will be dearly missed.

Jang Yeon is survived by his wife, Youngsun Lee; his son Ryan Inseo (Madison) Hwang; his daughter Dawn Hwang; his grandson Hattan Binha; his siblings Su Yeon, Sang Yeon, Dae Yeon, and Jae Yeon as well as many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents.

A celebration of life for family and friends will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 4th, in the backyard of 3425 North Canyon Road, Provo, UT. Condolences may be sent to the family at https://jang-yeon-hwang.blogspot.com . If you have any photos, videos or memories of Jang Yeon, please email them to hwangfamily65@gmail.com . The Hwang family would love to hear about how Jang Yeon played a role in your life!

Condolences for the family may be expressed on this page.