Madeline Chu

Chu, Madeline 2/2/1940 - 5/30/2022 Chicago Madeline Chu, long time Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, before being named Professor Emerita in 2017, has died in Chicago. She was 82. Born Chen Men-li to a military family in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Madeline lived in various parts of China before leaving the mainland for Taiwan in 1949. There, she attended Taipei City's prestigious and ultra-competitive First Girls' High School and graduated as valedictorian. Madeline continued her studies at National Taiwan University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, and again graduating at the top of her class, this time as salutatorian. Madeline taught high school in Miaoli, Taiwan, married John Chu (born Chu Kuo-ching), and gave birth to two sons before immigrating to the United States in 1970 to take up graduate studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson. There, she earned her master's degree and Ph.D. before joining the faculty at Oberlin College in Ohio as Assistant Professor. In 1988, Madeline accepted a professorship at Kalamazoo College. While at Kalamazoo, Madeline held an endowed chair, and was elected president of the Chinese Language Teacher's Association, a national organization dedicated to promoting and advancing the quality of the teaching of Chinese. As a professor, Madeline was beloved by her students, and in 2002 she was awarded Kalamazoo College's Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship in recognition of outstanding classroom teaching. She had also held professorships at Connecticut College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Madeline served on the faculty of Kalamazoo College for over 28 years before retiring after the death of her husband in 2017. She joined her second son in living in Chicago a year later. In retirement, Madeline enjoyed a rich and active life, continuing her studies, practicing calligraphy, exploring the River North neighborhood of Chicago where she lived, and reconnecting with dearly missed childhood friends. Madeline was the most selfless wife and mother a family could ever have. She is survived by two older brothers, Chen De-fu of Taipei, Taiwan, and Chen De-run of Chongqing City, China, as well her elder son and daughter-in-law, Robert Chu and Melissa Wong of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and her younger son, Andrew Chu of Chicago. Visitation was held on June 4 in Chicago. Lakeview Funeral Home