Jean Marcel Hubert TIXHON

TIXHON, JEAN MARCEL HUBERT -- On December 8, 2005, JEAN MARCEL HUBERT TIXHON, passed away peacefully with his wife and daughter by his side after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer. He is mourned by his wife, daughter, two grandchildren, sister and other relatives.Mr. Tixhon was born in Spa, Belgium on December 19, 1920. He went to cadet school as a youth and at 18 was enrolled at the Royal Military School of Belgium. In 1940, he fought briefly in WWII with the Belgian Army, where his unit was captured and sent to a POW camp for several months before being released. Upon leaving the military, he was able to continue his studies, earning a Master's degree in civil, mechanical and electrical engineering (Magna Cum Laude) at the University of Liege, Belgium in 1946; a Bachelor in Economics (Business Administration) (Magna Cum Laude) at the University of Liege in 1950; and a Ph.D. in Economics (Cum Laude) at the University of Liege in 1964.Mr. Tixhon joined the World Bank Group in 1969. Prior to that, from 1946 onwards, he had a distinguished career as a chemical engineer with major private sector corporations in Europe, Asia and North America. During that time, from 1950-1951, he taught economics at the Business School in Liege, Belgium and from 1957-1958 chemical engineering at the Institut Politechnique in Liege, Belgium.In 1969, he joined the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank. During his long tenure, he was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Corporation's portfolio in the chemical sector and helped in establishing the Corporation's reputation as a financial investor that was equally knowledgeable about industrial matters. He was seconded to the IBRD to help start up the Bank's environmental unit.He left IFC in 2000, leading a more leisured life of reading, following the stock market, watching soccer and tennis on TV (he played amateur tennis for many years), and biking 15-20 miles per day up until his recent illness. Staying in tip-top shape both physically and mentally was a priority for him. As always, he enjoyed wrestling with problems in mathematics. He also had a knack for foreign languages and continued to study German and Spanish.Beloved by everyone, Mr. Tixhon will be remembered for his sharp intellect, wittiness, wonderful sense of humor, honesty, integrity and cheerful disposition. He was a wonderful storyteller and could still recite long poems that he learned as a youth. He was the perfect gentleman.A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, January 7, 11 a.m. at The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Chevy Chase, MD. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Capital Hospice, P.O. Box 1576, Merrifield, VA 22116-1576. Published in The Washington Post on 12/24/2005.