Matthew Zhong Qing Wu passed away on November 19, 2024, a few months after his 38th birthday. He was a brave warrior in his 15-month long battle with lung cancer. A beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle and friend, he graced this earth with his intelligence and gentleness, and made the world a better place.

Born in San Francisco, California, Matt grew up in Vancouver, Washington and attended Skyview High School. He played the violin in the Portland Youth Philharmonic, with whom he traveled to New York City and played in Carnegie Hall. He attended University of Washington as an undergraduate and triple majored with two music degrees and a computer science degree. His love of music led him to the love of his life, Julia, whom he met in the University of Washington Symphony. They got married in 2011, and 4 years later they welcomed their beautiful daughter, Natalie, to the world.

Relentlessly curious about the universe and wholeheartedly devoted to logical reasoning, Matt was inquisitive, knowledgeable, and open-minded. His creativity and imagination was best exemplified in his parenting to Natalie, whom he loved more than anything else in the world. The two played together every evening since Natalie’s birth. They loved making up stories, building legos, reading books, and playing video games together. His vivid story-telling was on full display when the family went on long hikes. These epic stories would last for hours, where Natalie’s two favorite stuffies, Ducky and Froggy, traveled through centuries and met important figures in history and the future. These experiences instilled in Natalie a love for books and for writing her own stories.

As a senior software engineer at Google for 13 years, he was known not only for his aptitude with solving difficult problems, but also his thoughtfulness and collaborative spirit among his co-workers. He contributed to the making of Google Maps, which changed the world in a significant way. His wit and humor was appreciated by many, and he was quick to lend a helping hand. In his free time, he enjoyed artistic pursuits like photography and drawing. His art often featured the nature he experienced while camping and hiking. In the winter months, Matt skied the slopes of the Pacific Northwest from Whistler to Crystal, and the northern Rocky Mountains in Idaho and Montana.

Matt traveled extensively throughout his life. He has visited India, Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, and many countries in Western Europe. Among his favorite memories from his travels was driving his beloved BMW on the windy roads of the Alps, skiing in Switzerland, hiking in Italy, and beer-drinking in Germany. He was also an amazing chef, who loved making elaborate meals for his family and friends. The combination of his perfectionism and patience resulted in the most scrumptious meals where food, laughter, and joy was shared by all.

Albeit short, Matt led a full life and was deeply loved by his family and friends. He left behind his wife of 13 years, Julia, daughter Natalie, mother Karen, father Nathen, brothers Howie and Michael, sister Leslie, nieces Paige and Sydney, and nephew Felix. He left a void in all of our hearts, and will be profoundly missed.

A celebration of life service will be held on January 18, 2025 at 4pm at Magnolia United Church of Christ (3555 W McGraw St, Seattle, WA 98199). Memorial Lanterns will be released into the sky and a keg of beer will be tapped in Matt’s honor at the reception immediately following the service. In lieu of gifts or flowers, you can make a donation to Portland Youth Philharmonic or contribute to Natalie’s college fund (Ugift Code: D0T-W7P).