Family of pilot who died on an animal rescue flight to receive remains of dog killed in crash

The ashes of a big-eyed, brown and white puppy named Lisa that died last week in a plane crash in New York's Catskill Mountains were being delivered Sunday to the family of the animal rescue pilot who lost his life trying 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 to ensure Lisa finally had a home.

“We all sat down and talked about what we’d like to do with his remains. And then we were given the option to have Lisa’s remains brought to us, we decided that we would all feel much better if she was with us,” Kim said in a telephone interview from Springfield, Virginia.

“He obviously cared enough about her to risk his life on an expedition to save her. And we just want to make sure she’s being taken care of,” she said. “We feel a responsibility to continue what he started.”

Seuk Kim had taken off Nov. 24 from Maryland on a mission for the rescue organization Pilots n Paws, en route to 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 pups 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 fly them 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 family miniature poodle.

“Just having Lisa nearby brings us all comfort,” she said.

A funeral is planned on Thursday for her father.

Originally from South Korea, Seuk Kim had a childhood dream of becoming a pilot. He began transporting cats and dogs from disaster areas and overcrowded shelters on behalf of rescue organizations after he got his pilot's license four years ago, his daughter said.

She said he made trips several times a week to pick up animals for several organizations and would often talk about the orphaned dogs and cats he helped to rescue.

“He’s always been a huge fan of animals. They have been one of his passions," Leah Kim said.

Penny Edwards, transport coordinator for the group Forever Changed Animal Rescue, called Seuk Kim an “incredible person” and credited him with being the impetus for her organization delivering supplies to victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina his fall.

“It’s just so amazing how many lives he touched and impacted in such a short time that he was flying,” she said. “It wasn’t just about rescuing animals. He was just so involved with the community.”