Wu Zhande
James Tak Wu** (GBS; born 1922 – died October 29, 2020) was a Hong Kong businessman of Taishan, Guangdong origin, born in the United States. He was the former chairman and honorary chairman of Maxim's Caterers Ltd.
Biography
James Tak Wu was born in the United States. At the age of two, he returned to China with his mother. He attended the primary and secondary divisions of Lingnan School [1]in Guangzhou as a boarder. He graduated from Lingnan University in Guangzhou in 1947.[2] After graduation, he and his brother Wu Shun-tak managed Queen's Theatre.[3]
In 1956, Wu and his brother founded "Maxim’s Restaurant" in Central, which eventually developed into Maxim’s Group. In 1979, James Tak Wu and his eldest daughter Annie Wu co-founded Beijing Air Catering Co., Ltd. with the Civil Aviation Administration of China in Beijing, the first Sino-foreign joint venture in Mainland China after the Joint Venture Law was enacted.[4][5][6]
In 1995, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by Springfield College, Massachusetts, USA. In 2001, he received the Silver Bauhinia Star from the Hong Kong SAR Government. In 2003, he was named "Honorary Mayor of Guangzhou." In 2005, Sun Yat-sen University awarded him an honorary doctorate. In 2006, he was conferred an Honorary University Fellowship by the University of Hong Kong.
He retired in 2008. In 2009, he received the Gold Bauhinia Star for promoting Hong Kong as a world-class food and wine hub. That same year, he was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration by Lingnan University, Hong Kong.
On November 19, 2020, Maxim’s Chairman and Managing Director Michael Wu Wai-kwok announced on the company’s website that James Tak Wu had passed away at Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital on October 29, 2020, at the age of 98.
Family
James Tak Wu was married to Lee Yuk-chun and had two sons and four daughters. His eldest daughter Annie Wu served as a Standing Committee Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and is currently Honorary Chairperson of Beijing Air Catering Co., Ltd. His second son Wu Wai-chuen is an executive director of Maxim’s Group.
His second daughter Wu Suk-fun married Chow Yu-nung, grandson of Shanghai pigment magnate Chow Chung-leung (Chow Yu-nung died by suicide on October 6, 2020). His third daughter Wu Suk-kei married Lui Yiu-man, and his youngest daughter Wu Suk-yan married Chan Nam-luk. The other two sons remained unmarried.
References
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8D%E6%B2%BE%E5%BE%B7#cite_ref-4
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8D%E6%B2%BE%E5%BE%B7#cite_ref-5
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8D%E6%B2%BE%E5%BE%B7#cite_ref-6
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8D%E6%B2%BE%E5%BE%B7#cite_ref-8
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8D%E6%B2%BE%E5%BE%B7#cite_ref-9
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%8D%E6%B2%BE%E5%BE%B7#cite_ref-10
- Wu surname
- Hong Kong people of Taishan origin
- Alumni of Lingnan University (Guangzhou)
- Maxim's Caterers Ltd.
- Hong Kong businesspeople
- Honorary directors of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation
- American people of Chinese descent
- Recipients of the Silver Bauhinia Star
- Hong Kong food industry figures
- Deaths in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- Honorary doctorate holders from Lingnan University
- Honorary doctorate holders from Sun Yat-sen University
- Hong Kong restaurateurs