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Hye Cha grew up in Suwon City, South Korea where she met and married enlisted airman John Keeling while he was stationed there. While still living in Korea, she was blessed with her two sons, John Jr. and Roy. As is common with a military family, they moved several times, first to Okinawa, Japan before relocating to the United States and settling down in San Antonio. With her husband stationed at Kelly AFB, she worked as a waitress just off base for a few years while creating a loving and supportive home and raising her two sons. While her kids were in elementary school, she was also studying and was very proud the day she passed her citizenship exam. The Air Force then moved the family to Germany and then to Michigan. She would eventually return home to San Antonio where she worked until her retirement as a cook for the Lackland AFB dining halls. Through the years, her dining hall won numerous awards, and her fellow workers enjoyed working with her, admiring her strong work ethic. Even though she did not obtain a formal education for herself, she managed to provide successful ones for her boys. Though her job only provided modest financial means, she faithfully saved every penny, often sacrificing her own comforts to ensure her family always had everything they needed. She never borrowed money or purchased anything that she could not pay for outright. Without the benefit of having additional family support, she raised her sons as a single parent and was extremely proud that both boys became exceptional students, each receiving scholarships to complete their electrical engineering degrees at prominent private universities. Her home was filled with many happy memories captured in photographs, as Hye Cha loved being surrounded by pictures of her children and grandchildren. She was at her happiest when she was with her family, simply spending time together. She was a fierce, proud, and loving mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law. She will always be remembered as a self-sufficient and determined woman who never liked anyone making a fuss over her. She will be dearly missed by her sons and daughters-in-law, John and his wife Alice, and Roy and his wife Kasandra, as well as by her two granddaughters, Kyra and Lila.

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Hye Cha Keeling

April 22, 1943 - May 18, 2025