Over 800 people attended the funeral of Eugene Kim Friday morning, paying their respects to his family who had long searched for the missing 38-year-old Markham man before he was found dead in his car in Laurier Township last week.
Friends and family described Kim as a charming, happy, and dedicated father, adding to the mystery of his disappearance and death. The funeral service was held at St. Andrew Kim Catholic Church in North York.
In a written statement to media earlier this week, his family said “Eugene’s confirmed death has left a hole in our hearts after months of hoping he’d return to us. We are devastated by this news and are still trying to process what has happened.” They asked for privacy as they deal with the loss.
Ontario Provincial Police found human remains inside a vehicle abandoned in a wooded area north of Huntsville on March 1, five months after Kim first went missing in October 2017. An autopsy confirmed his identity a few days afterwards. Police have said they do not believe his death, or his disappearance, is suspicious. They have also said there is no evidence to suggest foul play.
On the day he disappeared, Kim told his wife he had an important business meeting and would be home late. Kim never showed up at work, and it was later found that he had called in sick. Instead, he checked in to Algonquin Park’s Voyageur Outfitters wilderness centre and signed for an overnight camping permit.
There were two names on the permit though staff at Algonquin remembered seeing only one person register for the permit.
Around 8 p.m. that evening, Kim reportedly texted his wife saying he would be home in an hour. He responded to her a second time after missing the hour deadline, saying he would be home “soon”. He never returned home.
The human remains were found about an hour northeast of Algonquin Park.
