Passed away peacefully at Southlake Residential Village in Newmarket, on Friday, May 14, 2021, in his 72nd year. Loving life partner of 27 years to Catherine Smith. Beloved father of Caelia, Jonathan and Hanna. Survived by two sisters and three brothers in South Korea.
Jung Taek (Jay) was born on May 21, 1948 in Yeongam, South Korea. After receiving his black belt at the age of 13, he went on to win the South Korean National Championship in 1966, in the light-weight division. After joining the army, Jay dedicated his life to the instruction of Taekwondo which included training the Special Defence Unit, National Guard and Presidential guards of the Blue House. Grandmaster Park was a qualified umpire and examiner continuing to promote Taekwondo in more than 50 countries around the world. He held positions within the International Taekwondo Federation as Organizing Director (1983-1986) and Technical Committee Chairman (1991-1994) and was technical advisor for the new Encyclopedia for Taekwondo. In 1994, he decided to focus on family life with Catherine while raising their children. Jay was also a passionate golfer. In 2014, he was diagnosed with a rare form of Parkinson’s Disease and was admitted to Southlake Village Long Term Care where he has received ongoing care. Special thanks to the staff at Southlake Village for their dedication in managing his care throughout the years.
A Funeral service will not be held at this time due to the emergency declaration. A “Celebration of Life” will be scheduled at a later date.
If desired, donations in memory of Jung Taek Park can be made to the Parkinson’s Society of Canada
On-line condolences may be made at www.roadhouseandrose.com