Hyun Dju Kim

Dr. Hyun Dju Kim, 84, of Bowie, Maryland died peacefully at home surrounded by family on June 22, 2021. “H.D.” was a Physiologist, Pharmacologist, Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology at University of Missouri, Columbia Medical Center and an accomplished painter.

Dr. Hyun Dju Kim was born to Korean parents in Manchuria on January 4, 1937. He was the eldest son of a two-star Navy Admiral Kim Sung Sam and Han Dae Sung.  He immigrated to the United States at age 18 to pursue a college education at Duke University where he graduated with honors in 1962 and obtained his PhD in Physiology and Pharmacology in 1968.

During his early life, he and his family were displaced during the Japanese occupation of Korea and traveled on foot to Seoul, South Korea to settle.  He attended the prestigious Seoul High School in Seoul Korea.  After immigrating to the United States, he became a popular undergraduate at Duke University as one of the earliest undergraduate Korean Immigrant students in a mostly Caucasian student body.

He was a brilliant scientist and published over 100 articles. He began his career at the University of Arizona, Tucson as Assistant Professor and then became the Chairman of Pharmacology at University of Missouri Columbia for 19 years. He mentored countless PhD students and medical students. His research centered on red blood cell energy metabolism, Duchene muscular dystrophy, ATP energy generating pathways, insulin receptor physiology, and glucose transport proteins.

His research led him on exciting adventures all over the world including to Australia where he discovered an egg laying mammal, the spiny anteater, whose red blood cells did not appear to use ATP for energy consumption (1).  In addition, he spent time living on the Alpha Helix research vessel in the Amazon River studying Benthic fish muscle physiology.

He met his beloved wife, Mary Frances Baldwin Kim at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and was married in 1969. They lived in: Aachen, German; Tucson, Arizona; Birmingham, Alabama and Columbia, Missouri. They had three daughters. During his later years, Mary and H.D moved closer to family outside Washington D.C. to Collington Life Care Community in Bowie, MD.

H.D. had Parkinson’s Disease for 27 years and endured physical hardships but mentally remained passionate about painting. His artwork was a fusion between science and existentialism. Images of the organic compounds of glucose, red blood cells mingle with samurai fighters, churches and rare animals. During the Covid Pandemic, he painted the SARS-CoV-2 virus and had an art show which benefited the Collington Educational Fund.

H.D. was extremely proud of his family, his academic accolades, and his artwork. He possessed the rare ability to be self-assured, confident, poised but generous and humorous. He was always seated at the head of every dinner table and presented formal speeches and toasts for every small and large event. As the survivor of such rare events as being engulfed by a giant Portugese man-o- war, he filled the room with vibrant life stories. In addition, as a Korean immigrant, he maintained Korean cultural traditions within daily family life that were adopted by his daughters and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mary Frances Baldwin Kim and his three daughters: Claire Markovic, married to Mio Markovic, of Los Angeles, California; Dr. Karen Kim Evans, MD married to Dr. Stephen R.T. Evans, MD of Bethesda, MD, and Kristin Kim Bart married to Jason Bart, Esq. of Silver Spring, Maryland and his beloved grandchildren Milla Penelope Markovic, Matthias Markovic, Molly Evans, Mary Katherine Evans, Grayson Bart and Payton Bart. In addition, he is survived by his sister Hyun Sil Sonu and Hyun Keun Kim and numerous nieces and nephews.

Donations can be made in his honor to the Collington Foundation Education Fund. (Collington Life Care Community 10450 Lottsford Rd Bowie Md 20721). A celebration of his life is planned at the Memorial Garden of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, N.C. where he will be buried in late August. 

1: Kim HD, Zeidler RB, Sallis JD, Nichol SC, Isaacks RE. Adenosine triphosphate-deficient erythrocytes of the egg-laying mammal, echidna (tachyglossus aculeatus) . Science 25 Sept 1981.