San Ho Choi, MD passed away peacefully on January 29, surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife Gwen Blow Choi of Franklin, NC; his son Stephen and daughter-in-law Eniluz, grandson Dylan and granddaughter Stephanie of San Jose, Costa Rica; his daughter Caroline of Manhattan Beach, CA; his daughter Lori and son-in-law Ryan Pera of Houston, TX; and his son Eric, of Whitefish, MT. His extended family includes his brother Dae Ho, sister Geum Ok, four nieces, two nephews, four grandnephews and one grandniece, all of Seoul, South Korea, as well as his close friends in western North Carolina who became his brothers.

San Ho was born in Pyeongan-bukdo province (Pyeongsan-gun Baeknyang-myeon), located on the northern Korean peninsula (now in North Korea) and grew up in Seoul. He attended prestigious Yonsei University for medical school before emigrating to the United States for surgical residency. After completing this rigorous training, he moved to Franklin, NC, as a J-1 visa recipient with his young family. Dr. Choi would dedicate his career to the health of this community.

A true rural surgeon, he provided care far beyond the scope of today's general surgeons, acting as obstetrician, orthopedist and primary care physician to generations of families in the Franklin area, until he successfully recruited additional specialists to provide quality health services in Macon County. For much of his career, Dr. Choi was on 24/7 call and responded at every hour, for everything from Tylenol to IV access. He loved the staff and was respected by his colleagues and ancillary caregivers at Angel Community Hospital for his exacting standards. A consummate learner, Dr. Choi sought training in then-novel techniques of endoscopy, laparoscopy and radiographic-guided biopsy so patients could access advanced medicine without traveling out of town. Countless individuals benefited from his volunteer time providing local skin cancer screenings and surgical mission work in Tanzania and Bolivia. He was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine upon his retirement in 2016.

Throughout his life, Dr. Choi was an avid exercise advocate and encouraged his friends and patients to adopt healthier diets and lifestyles. Among his prized memories were those moments when former patients stopped him on the street to boast that they had succeeded at smoking cessation or weight loss. He was a frequent Ruby Run participant and completed marathons in Washington, DC; New York City; Greece and South Korea.

After retirement, San Ho actively volunteered with the Appalachian Trail Conference and Nantahala Hiking Club (where he served as president), maintaining the Appalachian Trail with friends in the volunteer corps. His love of the mountains went beyond the beloved Blue Ridge; he climbed Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu. With his best friend and wife Gwen, he traveled the globe, visiting all seven continents and regularly sailing along the Atlantic coast. Regardless of zip code, San Ho rarely failed to enjoy a Belgian ale (or two) at sunset.

Above all his individual accomplishments and adventures, San Ho was most proud of his family. His four children were educated in Franklin, NC, and their accomplishments and adventures were a source of great happiness for him. Knowing of the good health and well-being of his extended family in Korea, their children and that of his grandchildren granted him tremendous peace, even while he confessed that he had regularly sacrificed time with family to the vital health needs of the community.

San Ho will be laid to rest at a private burial near his home, where he will be close to his former beloved pets, Denali and Penny - his body and energy given to nourish the land he loved. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association (alz.org/get_involved), Doctors Without Borders (donate.doctorswithoutborders.org) or the Nantahala Hiking Club (nantahalahikingclub.org/donations/). A memorial celebration will be held in the spring.

Online condolences can be made at www.maconfuneralhome.com.

Macon Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.