In Memory of Wonkil Son

Spouse: Rev. Choongkeun Chang
Children: Lina, Yeunhee, Yeunhwa, Esther, William, Yeunjin
DOB: June 2, 1947
Blessing Date: October 21, 1972
Ascension: September 23, 2025
Seonghwa Ceremony: October 4 at 10 am at Highland Funeral Home, Scarborough chapel, 3280 Sheppard Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1T 3K3
Visitation: Saturday, October 4, from 9:30 am to 10:00 am. Please take a flower with you when you enter and place it on the table during your viewing.
GoFundMe:https://gofund.me/c8e09aff4
Zoom broadcast: https://my.forever.link/register/highland-scarborough/won-kil-chang

Wonkil Son ascended to the heavenly realm in the middle of the night on September 23, 2025, at the age of 78. She will be deeply missed by her husband, Choongkeun, her 6 children, and her 12 grandchildren:
-Lina & Une Herzer, Matthias, Mackenzie-Rose, and Scarlett
-Yeunhee & Kyunghyun Na, Bohyun, Hyunoo, Hyunsuh, Siyeong, and Siwon
-Yeunhwa & Alonso Ahmetaj
-Esther & Hanno Grohne
-William & Unity Chang, Jaeho, Austen, Clara, and Liam
-Yeunjin & Travis Bonneteau

Wonkil suffered a stroke in the middle of the night on September 21 and was rushed to the hospital. She was with her husband, Rev. Choongkeun Chang, and surrounded by 9 of her 12 grandchildren as well as 2 of her children and her daughter-in-law. Family stayed with her constantly during her transition period to the heavenly realm.
Raised in the border village of Nonsan region in the Yangchon district of Chungcheongnam-do Province, South Korea, Wonkil was born to a North Korean father named Kyungbae Son and a South Korean mother named Dohsok Lee during the Korean War on June 2, 1947. Wonkil grew up with her older brother and seven half brothers and sisters. She spent her youth making top grades and demonstrating a skill for competitive sports while working towards a career in fashion design. As a young woman, Wonkil was always dressed fashionably. She attended a Presbyterian Church in Myongdong, South Korea but found their teachings did not agree with her sensibilities about death and life.
So at the age of 17, she spent two years visiting multiple religions such as the Catholic Church and a Buddhist temple in her search for the truth. Wonkil ran a dressmaker’s shop for women’s clothing during this time, which happened to be next door to a man who ran a shop that was always filled with the sounds of holy songs. Liking the songs so much, she asked him what the songs were for. They spent time speaking about the reunification of North and South Korea, which Wonkil was very interested in as it meant she could go back to her family, which was from the north. He invited Wonkil to a lecture and heard from a pastor in the Unification Church who taught the entire overview of the Divine Principle, and knew instantly she had found God’s truth on Earth. She decided right then and there to join the Unification Church. Years later, one of her younger half-sisters would join her and attend the 6500 Couples Blessing.

In 1970, at the age of 24, Wonkil attended the matching convocation for the 777 Couples Blessing. There, she met her future husband for the first time in an auspicious, meet-cute beginning. Choongkeun is the 2nd son of Songdo Chang, a major spiritual figure in the history of the Unification Church. They received the Blessing on October 21, 1970, and spent the next three years witnessing in separate cities. Three years later, on December 14, 1973, Wonkil and Choongkeun made the journey to Canada and settled in the growing metropolis of Toronto.

Their new life presented many challenges including learning English and supporting the establishment of the Unification Church in Canada. They were the first Blessed Couple in Canada. Together with her husband, Wonkil spent the next 52 years establishing the Korean Evangelical Association in 13 regions throughout Canada bringing together Korean clergy, fulfilled the role of regional director of Vancouver and later, of Canada, accepted the role of National Messiah and Boon Bo Wang to Zaire (known now as the Democratic Republic of Congo), all while also giving birth to and raising six children. Wonkil spent many years guiding missionaries and holding revival meetings, preaching and witnessing as part of the International One World Crusade. Together, they met with clergy in New Jersey and Philadelphia and visited many families with her husband. Throughout her life, Wonkil has travelled as a missionary with her husband to Israel, North Korea, Zaire, Brazil, Japan, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Hawaii, England, and New Jersey. Rev. and Mrs. Chang received the 21-Year Mission Award in 1996.

Wonkil was a deeply spiritual and religious woman whose faith and trust in God and the words of our True Parents often found her in debates and struggles in favor of protecting and maintaining a standard of truth, integrity, and love for God and True Parents. To some, she is known as Mama Chang. To others, she is known as a tenacious woman of faith. To her family, she is known as a strong, beautiful, brave woman who overcame life’s struggles with grace and love. Wonkil is greatly loved by her husband, children, and grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution to his memorial fund (GoFundMe) would be greatly appreciated: https://gofund.me/c8e09aff4

Seonghwa Ceremony: Highland Funeral Home, Scarborough chapel, 3280 Sheppard Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1T 3K3
Time: Saturday, October 4, at 10:00 am.
GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/c8e09aff4
Livestream link: https://my.forever.link/register/highland-scarborough/won-kil-chang
Please pre-register for the livestream. Once registered, you will receive an email with your own link to join the live broadcast.
Contact: Yeunhee Chang: 437-436-8695