Frederick J. Matthies, age 94, of Fort Collins, CO and formerly of Omaha, passed away peacefully on September 1, 2020. Fred was born on October 4, 1925 in Omaha to Fred John and Charlotte Leota Matthies. He attended North High School in Omaha. In 1943 he enlisted in the Marine Corp, as an officer candidate assigned to the V12 program at Notre Dame and Cornell.
In 1946 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the USMC reserves. He graduated from Cornell in 1947 with a BS in Civil Engineering. In 1950, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant during active duty in Korea, where he served as Marine Combat engineer platoon leader. He was selected for Captain, but the war ended before he was awarded Captaincy.
On September 14, 1947 he married Carol Mae Dean. Carol passed one week before their 70th wedding anniversary. They had two children, John and Jane. Fred worked for HDR as an engineer and in 1952 began his 36-year career in Omaha with Leo A. Daly Architects and Engineers, a job that took him to over 100 different countries. He retired in 1990 as Senior Vice President. He and Carol moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in 2002 to be closer to their daughter.
Fred was an active member of Lutheran Church of the Master, served as a Trustee on the Augusta Board of Regents and as a Board Member of the Lutheran Hospital in Omaha which is now part of Methodist Hospital. He loved to travel with Carol and reading his newspapers. He followed the stock market diligently and loved to talk business with anyone who would listen. Fred never met a stranger, finding out where they were from, what line of work they were in, along with their interests and hobbies.
He is survived by his son John (April), daughter Jane (Tom); three grandchildren, Patricia, Benjamin (Bridget) and Joshua (Jordyn); five great grandchildren, Nathan, Emma, Wyatt, Mason, and William; and sister-in-law Gloria Matthies.
He is preceded in death by his parents Fred and Charlotte Matthies, his beloved wife, Carol and his brother, Charles Matthies.
Due to Covid 19 a small, private memorial service for both Fred and Carol will be held in Omaha at Lutheran Church of the Master, Monday, September 14, 2020, at 1pm, followed by a graveside service at Omaha National Cemetery with military honors for Fred. Memorial donations may be made in Fred or Carol's name to Lutheran Church of the Master, 2617 S. 114th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. The family thanks Brookdale, Ft. Collins and LeMay Health and Rehab for the great care and love given to both Fred and Carol.
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