Photo: Getty
You know her voice.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Sep 23, 2019
How did Suzanne Whang die? You know her voice. She's the voice-over on every epsisode of House Hunters and House Hunters International. She patiently explains what's going on as the house hunters and their real estate agent view three properties. Her name is Suzanne Whang. Sadly, she died last week after a battle with breast cancer. She died at home with her partner Jeff Verzain by her side.
1. Long battle with cancer
Suzanne Whang died on September 17 around 7:20pm after a 13-year battle with breast cancer. Jeff took to Facebook to post an emotional final tribute to his longtime love. He wrote: "A lifetime of love, adventure, humor and bliss now lives in our memories. On Tuesday evening around 7:20pm, Suzanne breathed her last breath here at home, as I knelt beside her and caressed her. For thirteen years she confronted cancer with courage, humor, determination and optimism. She was immensely encouraged by the love of her family, friends and those she had yet to meet. Your kind, loving messages always lifted her spirits. I know she would prefer that her life be celebrated, as opposed to her passing mourned, but I also know how vehemently she disagreed with anyone being told, “Don’t cry.” So…cry if you will. I’ve been crying a LOT! And laughing…and everything in between. It’s all part of life, but laughter was a staple of our dynamic. Her audacious sense of humor blessed many, shocked a few, but allowed us to laugh in the face of adversity. She was an amazing daughter, sister, friend, mentor and advocate. As I, her family and her closest friends process her transition, we ask for your prayers and loving thoughts. We have appreciated all of the kind words and memories shared on her Facebook page. It has brought much comfort. As I say good bye to a soul who was more than a true love, but also a best friend and an intellectual and spiritual book-end, know that we may not be able to respond to queries, but will try to keep you updated. Thank you."
2. House Hunters
Chances are, if you've ever watched more than a handful of House Hunters episodes, you can hear Suzanne's voice in your head. She was the host of the long running HGTV program from 1999 to 2008. She hosted House Hunters International from 2009 to 2012. HGTV released a statement about her passing: “Suzanne was warm, funny and kind with a distinctive voice that made everyone feel at home. Our HGTV family mourns her loss and wishes to express deepest condolences to her friends, fans and family who knew and loved her.”
3. Early life
Suzanne Whang was Korean-American. She was born in Arlington, Virginia to parents from Seoul, South Korea. She got her Bachelor's degree in psychology from Yale University and her Masters in Cognitive Psychology from Brown University.
4. Her sense of humor
Whang was an accomplished comedian. She won the Best Up and Coming Comedian Award at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival in 2002 for her controversial alter ego character, Sung Hee Park. She won the first annual Andy Kaufman Award at the 2004 New York Comedy Festival.
5. Approaching her diagnosis with humor
Whang was open about her battle with breast cancer on social media. Back in February, she shared a photo of her bare chest that showed a very large tumor in the center of it and a scar from a past surgery. She wrote: “Yep, that’s a photo of my chest. I have 3 t-ts now, and the tumor is bigger than both of my other t-ts combined! Sheesh, I just wanted you to see what I’m dealing with. It’s much more aggressive than the cancer I had in 2011, so I’ve had to increase my dosage of targeted immunotherapy, which is quite costly.”
6. Other roles
In addition to House Hunters, Whang had a number of recurring roles on shows including NBC's Las Vegas and Fox's The Mick as well as on General Hospital, Arrested Development and Kingdom. Her longtime agent, Eddie Culbertson released a statement about Suzanne. “Suzanne was one of a kind, we worked together over 20 years and my life is enriched having had our friendship. She was amazingly talented actress, gifted comedienne and a beautiful soul – she will be missed. Our lives are better having known her.”
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based writer and editor covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.