In Memory of Juan Manuel Sanchis

Seonghwa

Nov 28

Spouse: Jung Hee Kang Sanchis
Children: ChoongSun, (Yusun), ChoongWon
DOB: December 19, 1948
Blessing Date: January 12, 1989 (2075 couples)
Ascension: November 18, 2025
Seonghwa Ceremony: 10am Saturday November 29, 2025 at the Arbor Ballroom 3600 NY Ave NE Washington, DC 20002
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/618147675?pwd=dEZZUlg5bGxkQ245RDlJbXFHSEhDZz09

Juan Manuel Sanchis, beloved husband, father, and devoted disciple of our Heavenly Parent and True Parents, ascended to the spirit world on November 18, 2025, at the age of 77.

Born in Valencia, Spain, on December 19, 1948, Juan was the youngest of seven children. Juan’s love for Spain—its language, culture, and the warmth of its people—instilled in him a lifelong appreciation for faith, family, and meaningful friendships.

Juan graduated from the University of Valencia in 1976 with a master’s degree in business administration. A promising career opportunity brought him to America—but God had another plan. Just forty days before he was to begin his new job, a Japanese missionary stopped him on 43rd Street in New York City and shared the message of the Divine Principle. That brief encounter changed the course of his life. At 28, Juan responded to Heaven’s call with a newly awakened heart and became a full-time member of the Unification Church.

In 1979, Juan entered the Unification Theological Seminary in Barrytown, New York. After completing a two-year course of study, he graduated in 1981 with a Master of Religious Education degree. The previous year, he had been selected as a founding member of CAUSA International, an organization established by Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon to promote a God-centered worldview as an alternative to communism. Under the direction of Dr. Bo Hi Pak, Juan and the team traveled throughout Central and South America, teaching the Divine Principle to high-level government officials, educators, media professionals, students, and military personnel.

In the mid-1980s, he taught the Principle to Spanish guests in Miami, served as state leader in Arkansas, and supported the International Conferences for Clergy (ICC), where he played an active role in bringing Spanish-speaking ministers to Korea.

On July 1, 1982, both Juan and Jung Hee participated in the 2,075 Couples Marriage Blessing Ceremony at Madison Square Garden. Both of them had been matched and engaged to other spouses at that time. However, in the years that followed, each of their spouses chose to leave the faith and marriages. With patience and unwavering faith, Juan and Jung Hee waited—trusting that Heavenly Parent and True Parents would one day open a new path for them. In March 1987, their prayers were answered. Juan was introduced and matched to Jung Hee Kang, and the two were reblessed by True Parents at the 1,275 Couple International Blessing Ceremony in Yongin, Korea, on January 12, 1989.

They remained in Korea—first serving in Pusan, where they carried out Home Church activities and delivered the Segye Ilbo daily newspaper, and later in Seoul, where they settled and began their family life. They welcomed their first son, ChoongSun, in 1990, and their second son, ChoongWon, in 1992.

Juan’s professional career reflected a spirit of service and excellence. He taught Spanish and English to workers at Hyundai Motors and later served for many years in the finance department of the Embassy of Spain in Seoul.

In August 2003, the family relocated to Stafford, Virginia, and Juan joined them in 2005, where Juan worked as a tax advisor, hotel manager, and later in the finance department of The Washington Times.

In 2006, the family moved to Burke, Virginia, where their sons attended public school. Juan was a loving husband and proud father, deeply grateful for his family’s faith and accomplishments.

In 2015, they returned to Stafford, where he continued to live quietly and gratefully, cherishing each day as a gift from Heaven.

In 2021, Juan was diagnosed with a progressive neurological condition with symptoms like Parkinson’s. Even as he faced a long and difficult illness, he remained steady and gracious—his faith unwavering. Those who visited him in his final years witnessed a man refined by love—a soul at peace, anchored in gratitude and trust in God.

Throughout his nearly 50 years in the church, Juan was always active in the Spanish community. In February 2022, with love and devotion, he gave his final Divine Principle lecture— “The Parallels of History”—from a wheelchair.

Juan was proud of his Spanish heritage and always carried within him the warmth of the Mediterranean. He loved the sea, the poetry of language, and the beauty of heartfelt conversation. He was an outstanding tennis player and an avid soccer fan who never missed a European match.

He is remembered by his devoted wife, Jung Hee Kang; his sons, ChoongSun and his wife, Yusun, and ChoongWon; and by countless friends and brothers and sisters around the world—especially within the Spanish communities in New York, New Jersey, and the DMV area—who will forever cherish his gentle smile, unwavering faith, and loving heart.