Dr. Jeongyi Agnes Lee, age 57, of Frisco, Texas, passed away on November 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. She was born on September 16, 1968, to Hyeja Ann and Chaekyu Lee in South Korea. On December 23, 2004, Jeongyi married Dr. Rico Suhalim in Indonesia. She was a loving mother to her daughter, Maree, and son, Ian.
Jeongyi held a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Georgia. She was a professor at Kennesaw State University, teaching Korean linguistics and culture. She was the architect of the Korean linguistics program, co-author of a Korean language book, served on numerous departmental committees, and was a passionate advisor to numerous students. She was awarded the 2024 Sheth Faculty Award for distinguished international achievement in teaching and research. She was recently appointed as an Overseas Board Director for the International Association for Korean Language Education (IAKLE), the largest academic association in the field of Korean language education. Her role was to serve as a vital liaison between IAKLE and Korean language educators in the United States. Prior to her current role, she served as a lecturer at the University of Texas at Arlington, TX, and the University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Jeongyi is survived by her husband, Rico Suhalim; her daughter, Maree Suhalim; her son, Ian Suhalim; her mother, Hyeja Ann; her siblings, Hyunyi Lee, Myeugyi Lee, and Seungyi Lee; brothers-in-law, Jason Wu and KyoungJoong Kim; sisters-in-laws Mona and Windija Suhalim; nephews and nieces, Hyunggun Jung, Dawoon Jung, James Wu, Seoryeom Kim, and Seojun Kim.
Jeongyi was preceded in death by her father, Chaekyu Lee; brother, Seock Lee; and sister, Kumyi Lee.
She was a parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Frisco.
Family and friends are invited to a visitation on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 8520 Main Street, Frisco, Texas 75033, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with a Rosary beginning at 7:00 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, November 7, 2025, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 8000 Eldorado Parkway, Frisco, Texas 75033, beginning at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception.
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