Obituary of Jesse Chi-Zhih Ku

Jesse Ku, a long-time resident of Brockville, passed away peacefully from COVID-19 complications on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at the age of 97. Predeceased by his beloved wife of 64 years, Mae (Zu-Mei). Loving father of Joyce (John Dunning) and Andrew. Cherished grandfather of Jessica. Born in Suzhou, China on April 9, 1923, the eldest son of a large family and grew up in Shanghai. Jesse married Mae in Taiwan in 1953 and immigrated to Canada in 1967 seeking better opportunities for his young family. He received his B.Sc. (Chemical Engineering) at Soochow University (Taiwan) and after moving to Canada became a Senior Member of the Chemical Institute of Canada and Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering. After working in Taiwan as an engineer and researcher, he then spent the remaining half of his professional career in Canada working at Brockville Chemical Company (later, Nitrochem) from 1967 until his retirement in 1988. As a process development engineer and research chemist, he used his analytical and problem-solving skills to troubleshoot manufacturing problems and improve product quality while reducing waste. His research was published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemical Engineering and presented at international fertilizer industry conferences. Jesse was a proud Canadian, particularly appreciating the natural beauty of Canada which he and Mae visited from coast to coast. He was a long-time resident of Brockville, where he raised his family and enjoyed long peaceful walks along the waterfront with Mae by his side, holding hands. He was a self-taught handyman, making repairs to the family home. For leisure, he enjoyed classical music, fishing, tennis, table tennis, calligraphy and was an avid photographer. Jesse enjoyed travelling the world (as a gypsy fortune teller once told him he would), and lived a life that was fulfilled by the love of family and friends in all corners of the world. A celebration of Jesse’s life will be held at a later date. The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the exceptional staff of the Madonna Care Community in Orleans for their extraordinary kindness, care and compassion given over the past five years and during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made online in memory of Jesse Ku to the Senior Support Services “Meals on Wheels” program (https://www.cphcare.ca/#donate-section) or the Canadian Alzheimer Society (https://secure2.convio.net/alz/site/Donation2). Online condolences accepted at www.heritagefh.ca