Monterey

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Alice Kilsoon Lee of Monterey ‘to be present with the Lord’ (epistle 2 Corinthians 5:8) and to be reunited also with her husband Kenneth through Christ. Her passing at the age of 92 on December 15, 2024, was peaceful, with her loving family at her side.

Alice was born onNovember 20, 1932, in the city of Suwon, South Korea. She immigrated to the United States in 1952 to attend Monterey Peninsula College (MPC).

While attending MPC, she met the love of her life, Kenneth, an educator at the Foreign Language Center of the Defense Language Institute (DLI) at the Presidio of Monterey. They were married in 1954 and remained happily married for 57 years until Kenneth’s passing in 2011. Alice always called Monterey home, and was the matriarch of four generations who have called the Monterey Peninsula home.

Alice earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University, California, and a Master of Arts Degree in National Security Policies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA (1979). Alice, while working at the DLI at the Presidio of Monterey, rose to become Department Chairperson and Chair Emeritus (1990 – 2001). Alice was also fluent in five different languages: English, Korean, French, Japanese, and Chinese.

Alice and Kenneth loved traveling the world. Together, they fulfilled their goal of visiting every continent on the planet, including Antarctica. She had many fascinating experiences to tell, including traveling on the famed ‘Orient Express’ railway in Europe, sailing on the Mediterranean Sea, floating food markets in Thailand, the Great Wall of China, sailing the perilous ‘Drake Passage’ and the emperor penguins of Antarctica; the cities of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Paris in France (favorite places in Paris: Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris), London in England, Madrid in Spain, Lisbon in Portugal, Rome in Italy, and many others. After Monterey, Alice’s favorite place was Dublin, Ireland. Alice lived life to the fullest, especially loving to spend time with her family, friends, and pets.

Although Alice is gone, she will live in our hearts forever.

Alice will be lovingly remembered by her children, Elbert, Thomas, Susan; grandchildren, Andreana, Erica; great-grandchild, Aurora; brothers and sister, Kenneth, Moon, Sue; and numerous other family members and friends. Alice was predeceased by her father (Jae, who had been asenator in the South Korean government after World War 2), mother (Soon), and husband (Kenneth).

Alice was a devout Christian and a member of the Church of the Wayfarer in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Alice’s name to the Church of the Wayfarer, P.O. Box 2205, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA 93921, or to the local ASPCA.

Private funeral services are under the direction of Paul Mortuary, Pacific Grove, CA. A private family service and celebration of life will be held at a later date.