The ashes of a brown-and-white, wide-eyed puppy named Lisa, who died last week in a plane crash in the Catskill Mountains of New York were delivered to the family of the animal rescue pilot who lost his life when he wanted to give the dog a chance at a new one.
Leah Kim, the 16-year-old daughter of volunteer pilot Seuk Kim, 49, said the family came up with the idea for the memorial flight as a way to complete her father’s mission with the rescue group Pilots n Paws and ensure Lisa finally had a house.
“We all sat down and talked about what we would like to do with his remains. And when we had the opportunity to have Lisa’s remains brought to us, we decided we would all feel much better if she were with us,” Kim said in a telephone interview from Springfield, Virginia.
“He clearly cared enough about her to risk his life on an expedition to save her. And we just want to make sure she’s taken care of,” she said. “We feel a responsibility to continue what he started.”
Seuk Kim had left Maryland on November 24 on a mission for the rescue organization Pilots n Paws, bound for Albany, New York. He had Lisa and two other small dogs aboard his 1986 Mooney M20J when the single-engine plane crashed under unknown circumstances in snowy, mountainous terrain in southeastern New York. Kim and Lisa were killed while the remaining two puppies survived.
On Sunday, Chris Moon, a friend and fellow volunteer pilot with Pilots n Paws, flew to Albany to pick up Lisa’s ashes and then flew back to Virginia to Kim’s family.
Leah Kim said they will likely bury Lisa’s ashes in their backyard, along with the ashes of a beloved miniature poodle.
“Just having Lisa close to us brings us all the comfort,” she said.
A funeral for her father is planned for Thursday.
Seuk Kim, originally from South Korea, had a childhood dream of becoming a pilot. He started transporting cats and dogs from disaster zones and overcrowded shelters on behalf of rescue organizations after getting his pilot’s license four years ago, his daughter said.
She said he made trips several times a week to pick up animals for various organizations and often spoke about the orphaned dogs and cats he helped save.
“He has always been a big fan of animals. They have been one of his passions,” said Leah Kim.
Penny Edwards, transportation coordinator for the group Forever Changed Animal Rescue, called Seuk Kim an “incredible person” and credited him as the impetus for her organization delivering supplies to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina after it hit.
“It’s just so amazing how many lives he touched and impacted in such a short time that he flew,” she said. “It wasn’t just about saving animals. He was just so involved in the community.”