Dr. Guy Matson, of Lincoln, died on Wednesday March 16, 2011. He was born on August 19, 1916 in Columbus to Guy and Myrtle Matson, and was a beloved tag-a-long little brother to sisters Lois and Ruth.
Dr. Matson grew up in several small mid-western towns. During those years, he mastered the trumpet and developed a lifelong passion for hunting and the shooting sports fostered by his father. As a teenager he returned with his family to Omaha. After graduating from North High School he attended Omaha University for one significant year, the year he met Dorothy Koser. Later both transferred to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln where he was a pre-med student. In 1937 he was accepted at the University of Nebraska Medical College in Omaha. He returned to Omaha with his bride Dorothy ‘Dodie’ whom he married July 18, 1937. Following graduation came a year of surgical internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
World War II began and he postponed his medical career to volunteer for the Air Force, serving as a flight surgeon based in the South Pacific. When he returned to the U.S. he studied and taught surgery for the Air Force before returning to Omaha for surgical training with J. Dewey Bisgard. A talented surgeon, Dr. Matson preferred personal contact with his patients and chose the demanding career of family practice. In October, 1946, he opened his office in Lincoln where he practiced for 38 years before retiring in 1984. When asked his favorite part of his medical practice he answered immediately ‘delivering babies.’ Doctor Matson’s ‘babies’ numbered more than 3000 and spanned generations.
Dr. Matson’s interests included music, horticulture, golf, and aviation. He was a commercially rated instrument pilot. He was an avid trap shooter who routinely shot perfect scores. He served on many professional, civic and church committees. Dr. Matson was a Lifetime University of Nebraska Alumni, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the AMA, the NE State Medical Association and the Lancaster County Medical Association. Dr. Matson loved his family. He was always available to offer help and counseling. He actively pursued family genealogy and contributed to several volumes of Matson family history. He and Dodie lived more than fifty years in their home on their northeast Lincoln acreage.
Dr. Matson was preceded in death by his grandson, Cary Swanson; parents; and his sisters, Ruth and Lois. He is survived by his wife Dorothy; son Gary (Judy) of Milltown, Mont.; daughter Susan (Mic) Pinquoch of Blair; daughter Wynne (Reece) Summers of Cedar City, Utah; 11 grandchildren; nine step-grandchildren, many great grandchildren, many cousins, nieces and nephews.
The family is grateful to the many wonderful attending physicians, especially Dr. Jim Fosnaugh, the nurses and hospice nurses of St. Elizabeth and the caring staff at the Monarch hospice house.
Memorial services will be held 11 a.m., Friday, March 25, 2011, at First United Methodist Church with a reception to immediately follow. A private family burial will precede the Celebration of Life service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dr. Matson’s memory may be made to First United Methodist Church or a charity of their choice.