John Matthews

John Matthews was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Lawrence and Mary Matthews. He was the youngest of ten children, two of whom died in infancy. John attended the Shiloh Seventh-day Adventist elementary school. He graduated from Pine Forge Academy in 1955, and received a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Vermont. In later years, John was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Faith University. As a chemist, John worked for the U.S. Department of Public Health. In 1968 John joined the International Business Machines Corporation in Burlington, Vermont; in 1972, he accepted a transfer to Boulder, Colorado. After a short tenure with the LexMark Corporation, John retired from IBM in 1996.

John lived a life of service: Over the years he served as an Elder and Sabbath School Superintendent in the Boulder Seventh-day Adventist Church. He represented the IBM Corporation as a board member and recruiter for the local United Way organization. As a member of the Colorado Association of Black Professional Engineers and Scientists, John was actively engaged in encouraging and assisting African American and other under-representated minorities in the pursuit and attainment of career choices in math, science, and engineering. In his position of Executive on Loan from the IBM Corporation to the University of Colorado, John was actively involved in founding the Success Institute at the University of Colorado in Boulder, which enabled under-represented young people to experience and to participate in the rigors of academic and professional life. Over the years, many of the students, whose lives he touched, stayed in contact with John. He loved hearing from them and sharing their stories.

John will always be remembered for his winning smile, his strong handshake, his willingness to help others, and his strong commitment to the faith in which he believed and loved.

John is survived by his wife of fifty-four years: Carole Wagner Matthews; his sons: John "Jay" Matthews, Jr. and Mark Matthews (Lisè); grandchildren: Jessie Matthews, Jordan Matthews, Evan Bretches; and others who affectionately call him PaPa: Grace, Sam, and Jack Metivier; as well as a host of other family members and friends.

John's life will be celebrated on Friday, December 6, 2013 at the Boulder Seventh-day Adventist Church, 345 Mapleton Avenue, Boulder, Colorado. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00; the Celebration Service will begin at 11:30. A brief Entombment Service will be at the Coal Creek Memorial Center in Lafayette, Colorado.