Robert A. Matthews

MATTHEWS, Robert A. Of Kalamazoo
Passed away Sunday evening, April 12, 2009. Robert A. Matthews Bob was born on April 18, 1922 in Evanston, Illinois, the son of Anne and George Matthews of Glencoe, Illinois, both of whom preceded him in death. A graduate of New Trier High School and a 1943 graduate of the University of Michigan, Bob was a member of Delta Tau Delta, the Sphinx honorary as a Junior, and was a Michigamua Senior honorary. He joined the Navy in 1943 and served on the U.S.S. Coughlin as an officer in the South Pacific. After an honorable discharge in 1946 he accepted a position with the Kawneer Company in Niles, Mi. On April 3, 1948 Bob married Christel Chrissie Berry. In 1949, after several years with Kawneer, Bob and Chrissie returned to Kalamazoo where Bob became president of Precast Industries, later known as PreCon Shockbeton. He remained with the company through five different owners until his retirement in 1984. He served as President of The Precast Concrete Institute and a member of the Board of Directors. Bob was a devoted and active member of the Kalamazoo community. He served as President of the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce, was a Chairman of the United Way Campaign, President of Constance Brown Hearing and Speech Center, a member of the Board of Directors of both The American National Bank and Bronson Methodist Hospital. He was an active member of Rotary until illness prevented him from further participation. A member of the Park Club since 1952 the year of the club's 50th anniversary. Bob always dreamed of living on Portage Lake, in Northern Michigan. Beginning at age three, Bob spent some of every summer on Portage Lake, missing only one year during his service in World War II. An avid sailor, he was Commodore of the Portage Lake Yacht Club as a teenager and again when his girls started sailing. In 1984, after retiring, this dream became a reality. While living on Portage Lake, Bob served as Interim Director of the Manistee County Economic Development, as board member and President of West Shore Hospital. One of his greatest joys in retirement was volunteering for St. John's Episcopal Summer Chapel on Portage Lake. Bob and Chrissie managed the operation of the Chapel for nineteen years until returning to Kalamazoo in 2003. Bob is survived by his wife, Chrissie; daughters, Berry Ann Lanny, spouse Provost, Elizabeth Dr. Robert, spouse Schleiffarth, and Lucy Matthews R. Randall, spouse Seber; Four grandchildren who lovingly referred to their Grandfather as "Bomp": Dr. Robert Heidi, spouse Schleiffarth, Christopher Moffat, Anne Provost Joseph, spouse Goode and Armin Schleiffarth; brother in-law, Henry Mimi, spouse Berry; sister in-law, Helen Matthews; nieces and nephews, Mary Katherine Berry, David Berry, Margaret McGuckin, John Berry, Chris Ann Bateman, Gordon Matthews, Anne Collett, Susan Reinhart, and Amy Matthews; and his devoted caregiver, Mary Six. Services for Bob will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Wednesday, April 15 at 10 30 A.M. with a reception following the service. Those wishing to remember Bob may send Memorials to: St. John's by the Lake Summer Chapel, c/o Charles E. Andrews, 1131 Conlon, Grand Rapids, MI 49506-3566, Kalamazoo Rotary Charities. P.O. Box 50251, Kalamazoo, MI 49005, St. Luke's Memorial Fund, 247 W. Lovell, Kalamazoo, MI 49007. Arrangements by Langeland Family Funeral Homes, Memorial Chapel, 622 S. Burdick. www.langelands.com