Gary Nolan Matthews

Gary Nolan Matthews was born on Feb. 9, 1939, in Ft. Knox, Ken., to (then) Capt. Archie Matthews, of Leggett, Texas, and to Dorothy Matia Irwin Matthews of San Antonio.

He joined our Savior in Heaven on Oct 30, 2017. His residence at the time was in Killeen, Texas. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Copperas Cove, his Pastor being the Reverend Naomi Ingrim.

Gary was preceded in death by his father, Lt. Col Archie Matthews, and mother, Dorothy Curry Matthews, one young nephew, Matthew Aaron Walston, step-daughter, Lorie Matthews and many beloved cousins.

Surviving Gary are son, Mike Matthews (Hui Qin), of Copperas Cove, and their children, Jade, Drae and Sophia, of Austin, and Chenyang Yuan, of Copperas Cove, son, Nathan Matthews (Lizabeth) of Arlington, Va, and children Emma Erion-Brewer, Lilly, India and Griffin, of Virginia, and step-daughter, Bonnie Knaupp (Kerby) and granddaughters, Kira and Kristi of Stonewall, Texas.

Also surviving is Gary’s only sibling, Dorothy June Matthews-Laird (Lee) of Lockhart, niece Teri Lynn Joy (Eileen), of Roxboro, N.C., nephew, Alex Walston (Rebecca) of Austin, and their children, Belle Walston and Penelope Walston, also of Austin.

Gary was raised in San Antonio and attended Burbank High School. He earned a degree from University of Texas in math and science.

Three years of courses at Berkeley (Calif.) prepared him for a degree in MATS, which he achieved at San Francisco Presbyterian Seminary at San Anselmo, Calif.

Gary returned to Texas and began serving the Presbyterian Church. Among the churches he served were First Presbyterian in Yorktown and Refugio First Presbyterian.

Feeling the calling to be a full time counselor, he returned to the University of Texas and received his PhD in counseling. He followed this calling up to the a few days before he passed.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, at 10 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Lockhart.