Matthew McCallum

Matthew Scott McCallum, 52, of Chicago, died Saturday, October 10, 2026. His life was tragically cut short when he was struck by an automobile while riding his bicycle along a trail north of Chicago.

Matt was the son of Carol Crawford and Robert McCallum, both of whom have died.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, where he spent much of his childhood. A particularly precocious and intelligent child, he excelled in mathematics, physics, French, and everything he set his mind to. He won many academic competitions and built lifelong friendships in sports and school plays. The valedictorian of his 1991 class at Terre Haute North, Matt attended Northwestern University and graduated in 1995. He traveled the world for a few years, living on the Navajo Nation, teaching English in Japan, and sitting in demanding Buddhist retreats in India before returning to Chicago.

Matt returned to Northwestern University to complete his training and teach, earning a Master's Degree and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics. Most recently, Matt had started a job at Allstate, realizing a lifelong dream of working in weather and climate science.

He met the love of his life, Hilary Jordan, in 2001 at the Kadampa Buddhist Center in Chicago, and they married in a beautiful ceremony on Lake Michigan in 2005. Matt and Hilary welcomed their beloved son Max Liam McCallum in 2008. Together they enjoyed a deeply loving home life in Chicago.

In addition to his devoted Dharma practice, Matt loved being outdoors, riding his bicycle all over Chicago and the Midwest. His passion for hiking in the Indiana and Warren Dunes with his friends and family was unmatched, and he passed his love of the outdoors to Max, also now an avid cyclist. Matt will be remembered most for his enormous capacity for love, sharing his wide-open heart with every sentient being that shares this world.

His wit, intellect, and deep wisdom will live on in his wife, Hilary; his son Max; his sister Sherri Sapp; many nieces and nephews; and a multitude of friends in Chicago, Indiana, and around the world.

In keeping with the family's Buddhist faith, several private ceremonies will be held in Chicago, and sometime in the next six months they will plan a celebration of life; details will be shared in a follow-up tribute. Please check back to this website for information.

Matt had meaningful relationships with an extensive network of friends and colleagues, and his family appreciates the desire to honor and remember him. They welcome you to share memories, stories, and reflections.

Family friends have organized a support link for anyone who feels moved to offer practical assistance via Give in Kind: https://www.giveinkind.com/inkinds/J9L0Z2U/love-for-hilary-and-max.

You can donate to Max’s college fund at this Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/matt-mccallum-memorial-college-fund-for-max.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to one of the places that Matt and his family love deeply:

Warren Dunes in Michigan (a gift to Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy in Matt’s name will go towards stewardship of the Warren Dunes: https://swmlc.org/.

Kadampa Meditation Center Chicago: https://www.meditateinchicago.org/.

Thank you again for your kindness and for helping honor Matt's memory.

Arrangements by Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-318-1305 or www.InclusiveFuneralCare.com.