Local resident, Soonja Cho, recently donated $10,000 to West Morris Central High School on behalf of her late husband, Bernard. Born in Paju, South Korea in 1949, Mr. Cho lived with his two older brothers in Mapo, South Korea, while his two older sisters came to the United States first. He spent his childhood in South Korea in poverty.
In 1969 he joined the Korean Marine Corps and fought in the Vietnam War before coming to the US and meeting his future wife Soonja. Mr. Cho and his wife raised four daughters in Hackettstown, NJ, all graduating from West Morris Central High School. Mr. Cho spent 36 years in NJ after leaving his homeland working at M&M Mars and raising a family. He tirelessly devoted his free time to volunteer efforts and often donating to local organizations.
Upon his death in 2017, Mr. Cho asked his wife to sell his property and donate the profits to local service organizations. West Morris Central utilizes the funds to purchase a new brick welcome sign in front of the school which was dedicated to Mr. Cho and his family on June 10.