Mathew Hu's Obituary
Mathew Hu, loving husband, brother, uncle and friend died peacefully on May 26 at his home in Annapolis with his wife by his side after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife Jill Ardourel, brothers Joe Hu and Jerry Hu, and nieces Jarretta Hu and Jeminah Hu.
Mathew was born in Nanjing on January 20, 1947 during the civil war that arose in China after World War II. He was still a baby when his parents took him to southern Taiwan where he grew up in a closely-knit rural community of Chinese migrants, enjoying the simple pleasures of summer swims, bike rides in the countryside and his mother's satisfying and eclectic cooking.
In college he studied accounting and finance and developed an interest in international business and economics. After graduating, his desire for adventure took him to Paris where he learned French, completed a master's degree in international trade and began a career in the international travel industry. Years later he returned to Taiwan to join his recently widowed father, and as manager of American Express Travel in Taiwan he visited destinations in Asia and throughout the world.
It was in Taiwan that Mathew met Jill, his soulmate of 40 years. They were inseparable, never ran out of things to talk about and enjoyed a compatibility that belied their different origins and cultures. Mathew eventually moved to the U.S. and married Jill in 1987. During the initial years he managed the East Coast sales office of the Taiwanese San Sun company and also served as business advisor to companies pursuing international trade with Asia, achieving his dream of working in the heart of Manhattan in an office on Fifth Avenue. Later he moved to Annapolis, Maryland and worked as an analyst for the Federal Government.
Jill shared Mathew's passion for travel and together they visited many destinations in Europe and Asia, savoring the arts, landscapes and in particular the flavors of different cultures. Mathew was adept at cooking, and with patience and a meticulous knowledge of healthy ingredients he created a wide array of international vegetarian dishes.
Mathew was a lifelong traveler, an astute businessman, an intuitive analyst and a gentle and devoted husband. He loved to go for long walks with his wife Jill, whether on the busy avenues of Manhattan, atmospheric streets of Italy and Spain, or peaceful paths of Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis. He will be remembered as a hard-working, perceptive person and a gentleman who was always kind and open to different types of people, foods and cultures. His life, while more private in the later years, was filled with exploration, novel experiences, and most of all love.
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