Iris and I worked together at Granville Entertainment and my favourite part of the day was having lunch with her and Tom.  I believe finding good company to break bread with is such a blessing.  That is where our friendship started, and it continued throughout the years.  One of my fondest memories of Iris was when she, Brian, Dylan and I made homemade perogies.  It was so much work, but once they were done, we had an incredible feast.  Those perogies were almost as delicious as the Korean BBQ Iris prepared for us…SO GOOD!

When I think of Iris, I think “sweet, sweet Iris.”  Every time we saw her she would ask Charlotte for a hug. Charlotte is so shy, but, she eventually started hugging her without prompting.   Iris would get a great big smile after that hug and I could see the warmth and love radiating off of her.  “Sweet, sweet Iris.”

Some more words that remind me of Iris are: grace, kindness, beauty, style, warmth, humour, compassion, generosity and courage.

I feel so blessed that I had the opportunity to have Iris in my life. Although I wish it was much longerm, I am so grateful for the memories that I do have.  I will miss my dear friend, “sweet, sweet Iris.”

- Posted on behalf of Christine Baker and family

Thinking about it now, I can't remember the usual transition period where two people go from being "my co-worker Brian and his wife" to "my friends Brian and Iris". There is no question about it - by the end of the first meal we shared, Iris was a friend.

On the topic of meals, we shared many and each one was a highlight (especially the ones Iris had a hand in preparing!). She introduced Dawn and I to so many foods we would have otherwise gone our entire lives without trying. Small things like this make a big and lasting difference and I can easily say that all of the small things Iris shared with us have added up to a big positive impact. I am, and forever will be, grateful for every opportunity I had to sit down at a table and share an evening with her. My life is enriched for having known Iris.

Despite each obstacle she was dealt, I never once experienced an instance where Iris let these obstacles define who she was. When I reflect on my memories now, I don't think about the disease that afflicted her; I think about the simple things that entertained us and brought us joy in the moment. Iris once spent almost 10 minutes trying to teach Dawn and I how to properly make little hearts by crossing our thumb and forefinger like so many K-pop starts do on Korean game shows. I still don't think we're doing it right. She added depth and character to every conversation and somehow managed to politely redirect the discussion to something more substantial when Brian and I got too deep into trivial discussions about office politics or video games. Whether the discussions were about travel, culture, food, or relationships, each one has added immeasurable value to our lives and has helped to shape and grow my perspective on the world.

These are all things that I would like to say to her, but I can't and that's OK. Brian stated that her wish was that her friends and family live happy lives. I am happy. I am happy to have known Iris. I am happy to possess so many positive memories. I am happy to see the positive impact she has had on so many people. I am happy and Iris contributed to that.

I feel very fortunate to have known Iris, and will always cherish the moments of our friendship starting with our undergrad days at University of Toronto. Iris and I developed a close bond throughout university likely because we were both relatively new to Toronto and did not have our immediate families close by. While we came from very different backgrounds, with Iris having her roots in South Korea and Vancouver, and me being born and raised in Trinidad, we shared very similar tastes when it came to things like food, movies, music and our love for travel.

It was always easy and simply fun to be around Iris. This was evidenced by her large and always growing circle of friends throughout university. My best memories of our times in UofT include the walks to our Economics 100 class on mornings followed by lunch in our residence common room, the occasional "all-nighters" hanging out in McCaul house or getting ready for that final exam, fireball in UC (picture attached), and the fun moments getting to know the city - the list goes on. Most of all, Iris always had a wonderfully soft demeanor, and enjoyed the company of her friends whether in celebrating their successes or offering her support.

Post-graduation, my wife Sanjukta and I are extremely glad to have maintained contact with Iris, though not always under the happiest circumstances as Iris would sometimes visit Toronto for her ongoing checkups and treatment.  Still, Iris always displayed such a strong, positive character and bravery throughout that it was easy to believe this was just something which would just pass, perhaps something I took for granted. I'm extremely grateful for the times we shared over the past year and a half on her visits (as well as in 2007-08 when Sanjukta resided in Vancouver), and obviously wish there could have been more. However, I have to believe that Iris is in a better place now and is still smiling. While Sanjukta and I are still very sad to hear of Iris' passing, it has caused us to reflect on our daily lives, and especially learn not to take the moments that we get the share with our friends and family for granted.

Thank you Iris for being such a dear friend and I'm sure we will meet again.

Please share your memories with us

Please share your memories of Iris with us.  Iris's family and myself would love to hear your stories, however long or short they may be. In your posts, it would be great if you could tell us how you know Iris.

There are three ways to do this: 

1. Post in the comments section below this post
2. If you'd like a more elaborate post (e.g. with pictures), you can e-mail me at brianoma_at_gmail_dot_com to request an invite to become and author (and briefly let me know who you are). I'll get right back to you. Promise.   
3. Send your message and/or pictures to brianoma_at_gmail_dot_com, and I will post it for you.  

P.S. The first two options require a gmail account.  It's not so bad though. 

P.P.S. - Yes, there may be better sites for this, and if you know of them, please let me know.  But... it better be as pretty as this site. 

Iris Kim - biography

Iris Kim

March 29, 1979 - August 14, 2016

Hee Hyun (Iris) Kim, wife of Brian Ma, sister of Jun Hyun (Chris) Kim, and daughter of her father, Sung Dong Kim, and mother, Jung Sook Bae, was born on March 29^th, 1979 in Anheung, South Korea.  Iris attended primary school in Seoul, South Korea before moving to Vancouver in 1996, where she attended Sentinel Secondary School in West Vancouver.  Iris then attended the Rotman School of Commerce at the University of Toronto, graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. 

Iris worked as an accountant.  She worked at Granville Entertainment Group in 2004, before going back to Korea in 2005 to work as an auditor at KPMG.  Iris became a US Certified Public Accountant in 2006, and began working at KPMG in Vancouver as a licensed CPA in 2008. 

Iris became a permanent resident of Canada in 2007, and she was proud to become a Canadian citizen in 2015. 

Iris Kim was married to Brian Ma on June 10, 2006 at the Chungdong First Methodist Church in Seoul, South Korea.  Together, Iris and Brian lived and laughed, experienced the world together, and made memories with friends and family, and (of course) their dog, Chopper. 

Iris was passionate about travelling, fine dining, and art.  She was a shining soul that lived life with grace and resilience, facing everything with a sweet smile. She will be greatly missed.