Obituary of Jianxiang Liu

Jianxiang “Jesse” Liu, a longtime Short Hills resident, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Saturday, April 6, 2024. He was 53.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 27 years, Qingmei Bu; his loving parents, Guankun Liu and Qinying Deng; three cherished daughters, Monica, Helen, and Selena Liu; one brother, Jianwei Liu; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

Jianxiang was born in Guangzhou, China on October 23, 1970. He achieved his bachelor's degree from Sun Yat-Sen University where he met his future wife, Qingmei. The couple emigrated to the United States together in 1992, with Jesse receiving his first master’s degree in math at the University of Georgia. He then went on to graduate from Yale University with a master’s degree in computer science. Jianxiang had a long career as a Financial Engineer at MatlinPatterson in New York City.

Jianxiang and Qingmei married on July 12, 1996, and first settled in New York before coming to New Jersey to raise their family. His three daughters were the light of his life and Jesse was incredibly proud of them.

Jesse was a passionate supporter of education, serving on the Millburn Board of Education for three years. During his time on the Board, he was instrumental in having the Lunar New Year recognized as a school holiday and in starting a Chinese school in Millburn. At the same time, Jesse enjoyed outdoor activities and was an avid long-distance runner who participated in over 20 marathons. He started a running club in Short Hills that has since grown to have over 300 members. Jianxiang and his family loved to travel and visited numerous National Parks where they made many treasured memories.

Jesse had a great sense of humor and brought light to the lives of everyone he met. Although Jesse’s family is deeply saddened by his passing, they take great comfort in knowing that he is at peace.

A memorial service for Jesse will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Westin Governor Morris, 2 Whippany Road, Morristown, NJ. At the conclusion of the service, a memorial visitation for Jesse will follow from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For those unable to attend the memorial services for Jesse in person, a livestream of the memorial service can be viewed by visiting this link.

In lieu of gifts, charitable contributions in Jesse’s memory may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.