***To view dance portion of video and poem eulogy from Maria's Memorial Service, click on Memories tab.***

Maria Soon-Young Byun, age 24, passed on to heaven on October 11, 2022.  She is survived by her parents Jennifer Park and Woodrow Wooj Byun; older sister Nina Byun; grandmothers Jean Park and Jumdon Hwang; grandfather Nakmoon Byun; uncles Victor Park, Bertrand Park, and Woomin Byun; aunts Sook-Kyung Byun and Jiwon Byun; and several cousins.  She is preceded in death by her grandfather Howard Park.

Maria had a beautiful soul and brought so much joy and light to the lives of all who knew her.  She had a compassionate heart and cared more about others than herself.  She courageously fought her battle with depression for many years.  Maria began the Master’s of Nursing Program at the University of Minnesota this fall to become a nurse to help others with their mental health struggles.  During the past year, she worked at Fairview Southdale, Fairview Ridges, and the U of MN Hospitals where she loved caring for newborn babies as a hearing screener.  While in college she worked as a medical scribe at North Memorial Hospital, a Patient Services Coordinator at Hennepin Healthcare, and a Direct Care Professional at ACR Homes.

Maria graduated with distinction from the U of MN in 2021 with a major in Psychology, and minors in Public Health and French.  Throughout college, Maria performed with the Dance Collective and later joined the Enticers.  Maria’s passion for dance began when she was only 4 years old at Heartbeat Studios, then continued at Lake Harriet Dance Center and Victoria Dance Productions.  As a 2016 Edina Scholar graduate of Edina High School, Maria was proud to serve as a captain of the Varsity Hornettes, captain of the JV Competitive Dance Team,  member of the Edina Hip Hop Dance Team, and member of the high school JV Cheer Team  while in middle school.  Maria began learning French at L’Etoile du Nord French Immersion School and Normandale Elementary School, which she continued at Valley View Middle School up through college.  She loved speaking French with whomever she could.   Though she had visited Paris with her family when she was only 4 years old, she always dreamed of returning to France someday as an adult.  In grade school Maria started playing the violin with the orchestra, piano and her first song on the guitar was "Here Comes the Sun."  In the last few years of her life, Maria loved to paint beautiful pictures and cook delicious meals for her family and friends.  She cared passionately about social justice and joined in many protests to advocate for the rights of others.

In her short time on earth, Maria lived her life with passion and touched the lives of many with her kindness and devoted friendship.  She taught us how to live, laugh, and love. Through our unimaginable grief, we find some comfort in knowing that Maria is no longer in pain and she is finally at peace.  She has given the gift of life to many others through her organ and tissue donation.  To her family and friends, she generously gave the gift of her love, but she could not give enough to herself.  Yet our overflowing love for Maria will restore her spirit and keep her alive in our hearts forever.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, December 3, 2022 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 4439 W. 50th St., Edina, MN 55424, with reception to follow.  Visitation is on Friday, December 2, 2022 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the same location.   Please allow extra time for street parking.  Additional parking is available on both dates at the Edina Country Club (front and back parking lots) on Wooddale Ave. across the street from the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent from this website, or else to Woodrow Byun, 7400 Metro Blvd #465, Edina, MN 55439 (work address), and will be donated to causes dear to Maria’s heart, including mental health, child welfare, and human rights.  

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/maria-byun/obituary/

Copy