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E-Hsin Foo, 68, restaurateur, died August 3rd at Bryn Mawr Hospital due to complications from a fall in his home. Mr. Foo suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare degenerative brain disease that causes serious and permanent problems with control of gait and balance. Mr. Foo was born in Hunan Province in China in 1942. His family fled to Taiwan when the Communists took over China in 1949. He received a B.S. in Engineering from Taiwan University and a PhD in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Carnegie Mellon University. After receiving his doctorate he took a position as a professor at Florida State University before moving to Hsinchu, Taiwan to start and head the Metallurgy and Materials Science department at National Tsing Hua University. In 1979 Mr. Foo’s father asked him to leave his field of expertise to come to Philadelphia to help run the Center City extension of Ardmore’s Hunan restaurant. Despite their lack of experience, Mr. Foo and his wife Susanna enthusiastically threw themselves into the business to help make Hunan one of the best Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia. Within a few years Hunan received its first Best of Philly award, one of many accolades the restaurant received. In 1987 Mr. Foo and his wife decided to strike out on their own to open Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine on Walnut Street in Center City. Almost immediately it became known as one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia, and perhaps the country, because of its innovative combination of Chinese and French cuisines. Through its more than 20 years of existence, Susanna Foo was recognized for its excellence with numerous awards from entities such as the James Beard Foundation, Robert Mondavi, and Gourmet and Food and Wine magazines. Mr. Foo ran the front of the house and was responsible for developing the wine list. Wine became one of his true passions as he was always working to deepen his extensive knowledge of the subject over the years. Mr. Foo and his wife went on to open several other restaurants, including Suilan in Atlantic City and Susanna Foo Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor. Mr. Foo is survived by his wife of 42 years, Susanna, his two sons Gabriel and Jim, his three grandchildren Cassandra, Vivienne and Kent, and his five siblings, E-Ni, E-Yen, E-Ting, E-Chien and E-Ming. His Funeral Service will be held on Friday, August 6th at 2 PM at the Chadwick & McKinney Funeral Home, 30 East Athens Avenue, Ardmore, PA with visitation from 12:30 PM to 2 PM. The burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to the Penn Memory Center, Attn: Faye Silag, 3615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

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E-Hsin Foo

July 11, 1942 - August 3, 2010