Naomi Park Antolin's Obituary
Naomi Park Antolin, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and auntie, passed away peacefully on November 22, 2020, at the age of 92 in Tacoma, Washington. Naomi lived a full life devoted to family, friends, and faith.
Naomi was born in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, on January 16, 1928, the second child of her Korean-born parents, Eul Ho Park and Kuem Soon Kim. When her family settled back in Korea while she was not yet an adult, Naomi’s strength of character and determination helped her endure the hardships of two wars.
During her early years she developed a love of literature—her favorites were the great Russian novelists—and through these books she discovered a world of possibilities beyond her immediate surroundings. Her fondness for literature remained with her throughout her life. Later in life, she also enjoyed cooking, gardening, and watching Korean dramas.
Naomi met her husband, Pedro T. Antolin, while he was serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Naomi moved to the U.S. with Pedro, who had earlier immigrated from the Philippines, and their young family and settled in Lakewood, Washington. She worked for 20 years at Madigan Army Medical Center in food services, retiring in 1990 as a cook.
Naomi and Pedro were founding members of St. John Bosco Catholic Church in Lakewood, where Naomi served in the garden club and the funeral ministry. They also helped found the Filipino-American League, where they engaged in community service and formed life-long friendships.
There was little Naomi enjoyed more than spending time with family and sharing home-cooked meals together. She especially loved watching her children and grandchildren enjoy a feast of Korean, Japanese, Filipino, and American dishes she had prepared. In recent years, she took particular joy in seeing her many grandchildren grow up and lead full lives of their own. On this first holiday season without her, she will be dearly missed.
Naomi is survived by her five children; Nancy Burnett (Jerry), Peter Antolin (Kathie), Robert Antolin (Trudy), Grace Webster (Don), and Edwin Antolin (Susan); ex-daughter-in-law Robin Rettew; 17 grandchildren; and one great grandchild. Naomi also leaves behind her beloved sister, Kyung Ock Park, and her many nieces and nephews and their children, all of whom she cared for deeply. She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Pedro, her brother Suk Woong Park, and granddaughter Sarah Antolin.
A private funeral service will be held on December 2, 2020 at 1:30. To ensure the health and safety of our community, we are following all guidelines set by local, state and CDC officials. Due to these guidelines, attendance at the funeral service is restricted. The service may be viewed via livestream webcast at http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/41472. The family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the doctors, nurses, and staff of Kaiser and St. Joseph’s Hospital. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the St John Bosco Food Bank Garden Ministry, 10508 112th St SW Lakewood, Washington 98498which benefits the Lakewood Area Food Bank.
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