Dr. James W. Kim

Dr. Wook “James” Kim, 63, passed away Sunday, August 24, 2025 at Taylor House Hospice after a very short battle with stomach cancer. He was born January 4, 1962 to Young K. Kim and So Choon Kim in Seoul Korea. He came to America when he was 7 years old and his family settled in Rockville, Maryland. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston University and went on to attend medical school at the University of Texas Medical branch in Galveston. He completed his psychiatric residency at University of Maryland in 1996.

Jim moved to Des Moines and started working as a psychiatrist for UnityPoint (formerly known as Iowa Health Physicians). Most recently he was a provider at UnityPoint Clinic Counseling and Psychiatry-Lakeview. He was a provider there for 29 years.

Outside of work Jim had many different hobbies. He was an accomplished musician on the guitar. He was an avid outdoorsman, and he enjoyed bow hunting, pheasant hunting and fishing. He was also a professor of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and achieved a second -degree black belt. He particularly enjoyed teaching grappling at No Coast BJJ gym. Over the course of his life, he found it deeply important to live each day with gratitude.

James is survived by his two sons, Jacob Kim and Alexander Kim; his significant other, Nicole Large and her son, Jack; and mother of his children, January Kim; his mother So Choon Kim; and brother, Sehwan Kim of Tennessee.

He was preceded in death by his father Young K. Kim.

Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway, 3601 Westown Parkway in West Des Moines. Funeral services will follow at 12:00 p.m. Thursday, September 4 also at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be directed to NAMI, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in loving memory of James.

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