Daniel Hwa-Sze Hsu

Daniel Hsu was born on December 24, 1938 in Fujian, China to his mother, Cao Yu Zhi, and his father, Hsu Zhen Gang, and was the oldest of four children. His childhood was unfortunately surrounded by war, marked by loss and many family moves in attempt to escape violence. He lost his mother at age 8. His family moved to the Republic of China in 1949 where he eventually earned his bachelors degree in electrical engineering at Taiwan University and served in the army.

Daniel came to the United States in 1959 to earn his masters degree at Kansas University and then his professional engineering degree at Columbia in 1962. He got a job at Datamaster working on computing systems that helped pioneer SCADA technology. He continued to work there for the ensuing 43 years through its various corporate changes, ultimately as Bristol Babcock.

Daniel met his wife, Magdaline Ho, in New York City in 1964 and married in 1966. They raised two sons, Jim and Jeff, first in Stony Brook, NY and then in Southbury, CT. As a family, they enjoyed travel and extended family gatherings—in New York, Delaware, New Jersey, California, and Taiwan. In later years, he traveled more throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Daniel immigrated to the US with just about nothing, and worked tirelessly living the American Dream to build a better life for his family. He espoused hard work, honesty, fairness, and education. He had a tremendous generous spirit of giving back and was a champion for those who needed help. He volunteered many years with the AARP Foundation as a tax-aide and with the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP). His greatest passion was the volunteer work he did with the Peach Foundation whose mission was to help children from the poorest parts of China and Southeast Asia with an opportunity to complete a college education. He made a huge impact on the organization, having done field work for nearly a decade, and on hundreds of individuals in their efforts to break the vicious cycle of poverty. Getting letters from his prior students telling him that they finished college and have professional jobs and did not have to return to subsistence farming brought him the greatest joys.

Daniel loved Chinese food, crunchy nuts, toffee, and ice cream. He also loved action movies, a good fiction book, news, and Chinese soap operas. He never passed on a chance to talk about Chinese history, Medicare, or financial planning. He also was quick to share his strategies for loading dishwashers and washing stove-top vents. As a grandfather to three, he loved doing anything with them and watching them grow into young adults.

Daniel and Magdaline have lived the last 12 years together in Covina and Hacienda Heights, CA. Daniel passed away on August 4, 2024. In his last days, he was surrounded by his wife of 58 years, Magdaline, his two sons, Jim Hsu and Jeff Hsu, and his daughter-in-law, Mona Lou. He is also survived by his younger brother, Ming-Sze Hsu, his younger sister, Jennie Chin, his other daughter-in-law, Brenda Hsu, and his three grandchildren, Sydney Hsu, Jasper Hsu, and Taylor Hsu. He was pre-deceased by his other younger brother, George Hsu. He will be missed greatly and his family will forever be grateful for the hardships he endured and the opportunities he provided.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Daniel Hsu to Peach Foundation, c/o Ruth Jeng, 1098 Marlin Avenue, Foster, CA 94404. If you mail a check, you can write in a memo that your contributions go towards the Daniel Hsu Scholarship fund. To learn more about this organization, please go to www.peachfoundationusa.org

A family graveside service for Daniel will be held Saturday, August 17, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601.

Daniel will be laid to rest in Rose Hills Memorial Park, 3888 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601; Deer Meadows Lawn; Gate: 1, Section: 4, Lot: 4417, Grave: 1.