Jong-Kap
Park
gedeactivereerd
Father, Husband, Entrepreneur, Grandfather, Badass.
Jong-Kap (John) Park passed away peacefully at the Windsor Essex Hospice in Leamington on May 18, 2021 after battling lung cancer.
John was born in North Korea in 1942, escaped to South Korea with his family when he was 2, and immigrated to Toronto in the late 1960's with $50 in his pocket, not speaking a word of English or knowing single soul in Canada.
Within a year, he had worked his way up to Foreman at Domglas in Brampton, having impressed the other workers with his venerable tae kwon do skills (he was a 5th degree black belt). He also started dating (and would later marry) the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, Kyung-Ja, also known as Kay.
John had a fearless entrepreneurial spirit and unbelievably strong work ethic working 7 days a week, 365 days a year for 4 decades. He opened his first business, a Becker’s convenience store on Homewood Ave. in the 1970's. Shortly after, he opened Allan Gardens Grocery on Carlton St. John went on to become a Florist (Kensington Flower Shop in Kensington Market), a Dry Cleaner and Tailor (Finesse Cleaners on O'Connor Dr) and eventually the proprietor of the much loved Cornerstone Cafe (originally Palm Tree Donut Cafe in the Guildwood area of Scarborough).
For 23 years, John and Kay provided a safe haven for so many in Guildwood, served amazing coffee and food but also love, encouragement and (often unsolicited) advice. Regulars knew the you never wanted to get on John's bad side, but that he would give the shirt off his back if you needed it. Cornerstone Cafe was John's labour or love and he truly enjoyed being part of the Guildwood Community.
John is loved eternally and survived by his wife Kyung-Ja (Kay), his three daughters, Josephine (Stephan), Naomi, and Simmone and his four grandchildren Genevieve, Daniel Jong, Constance, and Eloise.
If you wish, you can make a donation in John’s memory to the Windsor Essex Hospice at the hospice.ca or Liberty for North Korea at libertyinnorthkorea.org.
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