Elizabeth Murdock (Lib) Matsch died on October 18, 2017 at her home in Boulder County, Colorado. In her life, she was a teacher, a wife, a mother, an outdoors woman, an artist, and a generous and active volunteer.
She was born in Washington, D.C. on May 9, 1930, the youngest child of the late Judge John Edgar Murdock and Sarah Lynch Murdock, both of Greensburg, PA. She was educated in Washington, D.C. at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and Georgetown Visitation Center. She graduated from Smith College with a B.A. in Studio Art in 1952.
She taught second grade at Park School of Buffalo and then ventured West with friends, eventually to settle in Denver where she taught 3rd and 4th grades at Kent School and then Graland. She was a gifted teacher who was able to find what was unique and wonderful about each child in her classroom.
On June 28, 1958, she married Richard P. Matsch of Burlington, IA, who was then a young Denver lawyer. They had five children together, one boy and four girls.
While raising her children, Lib shared her abundant energy and many talents in the community. She was a dancer and was the choreographer for several Law Club shows. She loved music and enjoyed singing. She was an active member of the Smith College Club of Colorado and Tuesday Morning Class. She served as a board member of the Denver Children’s Home from 1976 to 1982. She was president of the Cherry Creek Trail Association from 1977 to 1989 and was a driving force behind developing the extensive trail system that neighborhood now enjoys.
Though born in the East, Lib fully embraced her life in the West. She loved the mountains and was an excellent skier. She was also an avid horsewoman. She competed in shows and events for many years and rode with the Arapahoe Hunt. Her riding career spanned almost 50 years. When her children were grown, she treated herself to adventures to Baja, California, the Galapagos Islands, Glacier National Park, Alaska, and Australia and New Zealand.
In 1981, Lib read about therapeutic horseback riding in a Smithsonian Magazine article which led to a 22 year volunteer career, first with a nascent program in south Denver, and then after her move to Boulder County in 1989, she became a volunteer at Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center where she served for almost 20 years and thousands of hours doing everything from mucking out to serving on the board. She loved working with children and volunteers, and of course, horses. Therapeutic riding became her life work.
Lib was a devout Catholic and woman of faith. She loved animals, especially dogs and horses. She was an elegant and gracious person, but was also fiercely independent. She was devoted to her children and her husband and was supportive of their careers, but she had a rich life of her own, including many wonderful long time friends. She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for nearly half of her life, and though she often suffered debilitating pain, she did everything that she set her mind to do and empowered others to do the same.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Lt. Cdr. John Edgar Murdock, Jr., her sister, Sarah Martha Murdock Bolster, and her youngest daughter, Elizabeth Ann Matsch. She is survived by her husband, Judge Richard P. Matsch; her daughter Katherine Daley, son-in-law John Daley and granddaughters Martha, Clare and Kate; her son, Dan Matsch and daughter-in-law Carol Conigliaro; her daughter Molly Briggs, son-in-law Mark Briggs, and granddaughters Emily and Rose; and her daughter Marti Matsch, son-in-law Andrew Dieringer, and grandson Alden Matsch.
Donations can be made to Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, 11968 Mineral Road, Longmont, CO 80504 or at https://www.ctrcinc.org. Click on “In Honor of Lib Matsch.”
Memorial Services will be private for family.
She was born in Washington, D.C. on May 9, 1930, the youngest child of the late Judge John Edgar Murdock and Sarah Lynch Murdock, both of Greensburg, PA. She was educated in Washington, D.C. at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and Georgetown Visitation Center. She graduated from Smith College with a B.A. in Studio Art in 1952.
She taught second grade at Park School of Buffalo and then ventured West with friends, eventually to settle in Denver where she taught 3rd and 4th grades at Kent School and then Graland. She was a gifted teacher who was able to find what was unique and wonderful about each child in her classroom.
On June 28, 1958, she married Richard P. Matsch of Burlington, IA, who was then a young Denver lawyer. They had five children together, one boy and four girls.
While raising her children, Lib shared her abundant energy and many talents in the community. She was a dancer and was the choreographer for several Law Club shows. She loved music and enjoyed singing. She was an active member of the Smith College Club of Colorado and Tuesday Morning Class. She served as a board member of the Denver Children’s Home from 1976 to 1982. She was president of the Cherry Creek Trail Association from 1977 to 1989 and was a driving force behind developing the extensive trail system that neighborhood now enjoys.
Though born in the East, Lib fully embraced her life in the West. She loved the mountains and was an excellent skier. She was also an avid horsewoman. She competed in shows and events for many years and rode with the Arapahoe Hunt. Her riding career spanned almost 50 years. When her children were grown, she treated herself to adventures to Baja, California, the Galapagos Islands, Glacier National Park, Alaska, and Australia and New Zealand.
In 1981, Lib read about therapeutic horseback riding in a Smithsonian Magazine article which led to a 22 year volunteer career, first with a nascent program in south Denver, and then after her move to Boulder County in 1989, she became a volunteer at Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center where she served for almost 20 years and thousands of hours doing everything from mucking out to serving on the board. She loved working with children and volunteers, and of course, horses. Therapeutic riding became her life work.
Lib was a devout Catholic and woman of faith. She loved animals, especially dogs and horses. She was an elegant and gracious person, but was also fiercely independent. She was devoted to her children and her husband and was supportive of their careers, but she had a rich life of her own, including many wonderful long time friends. She suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for nearly half of her life, and though she often suffered debilitating pain, she did everything that she set her mind to do and empowered others to do the same.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Lt. Cdr. John Edgar Murdock, Jr., her sister, Sarah Martha Murdock Bolster, and her youngest daughter, Elizabeth Ann Matsch. She is survived by her husband, Judge Richard P. Matsch; her daughter Katherine Daley, son-in-law John Daley and granddaughters Martha, Clare and Kate; her son, Dan Matsch and daughter-in-law Carol Conigliaro; her daughter Molly Briggs, son-in-law Mark Briggs, and granddaughters Emily and Rose; and her daughter Marti Matsch, son-in-law Andrew Dieringer, and grandson Alden Matsch.
Donations can be made to Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, 11968 Mineral Road, Longmont, CO 80504 or at https://www.ctrcinc.org. Click on “In Honor of Lib Matsch.”
Memorial Services will be private for family.
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