His birth name was Kim Tae Hyun. He was known by the name he picked, Henry Kim, among all of his friends and relatives. He was born on May 19th, 1926, in Incheon, Korea, and died peacefully on October 11th, 2020, in San Diego, with his family at his side.

He spent the majority of his time as an industrial and marine engineer, but he was also an avid inventor and businessman. He had a great work ethic, always had a solution for every problem, and was well-liked by the US Army, where he served. His life and career took him all over the world, but in 1983 he finally settled in San Diego. It was there that he and Lynn Kim, his wife of 48 years,