Dae Sup An, 86, of McAllen, Texas passed away on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.Dae Sup An was born August 20, 1937, in Namwon, South Korea and graduated from Dongguk University, Seoul, South Korea with a Bachelor of Arts in Korean Literature in 1961. He married Jung Ok Kim on December 9, 1972, in Quito, Ecuador. He was known to most as “Grand Master An” to all his students across the world, “Appa” to his family and children, and “Hapi” to his granddaughter.Grand Master An was a 9th Dan Black Belt issued by the Kukkiwon (World Tae Kwon Do Federation) and he always had a great love and passion for Tae Kwon Do. He came to the United States in 1973 to establish An’s Tae Kwon Do Academy in Chicago, Illinois and moved to McAllen, Texas in 1982 to promote Korean Tae Kwon Do in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley. He retired in 2021.Grand Master An was a four-time Korean National Champion, earning him Korea’s Excellent Player and Champion of Champions from 1963 to 1966. From 1963-1972, he served as Chief Bodyguard for the Korean Police Chief and was Chief Instructor for Korean National Police. In 1972, he was invited to coach the President’s guards and Military Academy in Ecuador, South America, and pioneered the spread of Tae Kwon Do in Ecuador, South America. Grand Master An has been honored in both the Korean and World Tae Kwon Do Hall of Fame, including being the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He was featured on the cover of Tae Kwon Do Times and in Black Belt Magazine.

Grand Master An’s other love was his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, three older sisters, and one older brother. Grand Master An leaves behind his loving wife of 51 years, Jung Ok An; daughter, Marcia An; son, Danny An, and wife Kelly; granddaughter, Kennedy; and many other friends, colleagues, and students. He loved spending time with family, and Kennedy, his only grandchild; could always brighten up his day with many laughs and the biggest smile.

Grand Master An was a kind and caring husband, father, grandfather, friend, and mentor and he will be immensely missed by all who knew him. He promoted Tae Kwon Do in the United States and was a pioneer in the globalization of Korean Tae Kwon Do.

To honor and celebrate Grand Master An’s life, a memorial service will be held Saturday, January 20, 2024, at 4:00 pm, with visitation hours from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, at Kreidler Funeral Home. 314 N. 10th Street, McAllen, Texas, 78501.