Zora Joanne Matson

Zora J. Matson passed away peacefully at her home in the Crossings at Covington Commons on June 3, 2026, at the age of 92. She was a loving wife and mother who brought warmth and kindness to everyone she met.

Zo was born in Defiance, Ohio on December 3 (her favorite number), 1933 to Karl and Dorothy Weaner. She grew up in Defiance with her brother and was very proud to be the head cheerleader at Defiance High School “despite not being anywhere close to being able to do the splits.” After graduating as valedictorian from high school, she attended Vassar College in New York, where she graduated with a degree in Mathematics. While at Vassar, she made several friends who remained close throughout their lives.

After college, Zo returned to Ohio and taught math to 7th and 8th graders in the Lima, Ohio public school system. Despite loving math, she did not have a high tolerance for students who misbehaved or did not work hard, so after a year, she moved to Toledo, Ohio to take a job in customer training with IBM and continued to work for them when she moved to Fort Wayne.

Zo met her husband Dave while attending a duplicate bridge group at a tennis club in Toledo. Dave typically came with a friend, but even though his friend was sick that week, he decided to go alone anyway. Zo was there for the first time, having accompanied her aunt and uncle, and she also did not have a partner. As the only two people without partners, Zo and Dave were paired together. They proceeded to win the tournament that evening (for the first and only time) and also got along well enough that they began dating and married a little over a year later. They continued to play bridge together throughout their marriage.

After their son Tom was born, Zo quickly transitioned from a working professional into a dedicated mother and homemaker. She taught herself how to cook and organize their home, making it a marvel of efficiency. She took pride in not only running the home, but in tracking and acknowledging every important date and key event for every person in her life.

As her children got older, Zo began volunteering at the Allen County Public Library, which was a significant source of joy for her for more than 30 years. She and her three fellow volunteers, who became dear friends, were dubbed the “Thursday Girls” and were even written up in the local newspaper. She was also an active member and volunteer at Peace United Church of Christ, where she also developed many enduring friendships.

Zo was a lifelong learner who was curious about the world around her. She was a voracious reader who was always in the middle of at least one book and enjoyed discussing what she had learned. Even during the last few years, she seemed to zip through a book a day and kept family and caregivers scrambling to find more large print options for her to read.

In addition to books, Zo found joy in the small things. She loved flowers and gardening, observing birds, and watching musicals, such as An American in Paris and Singin’ in the Rain.

She also took very seriously her civic duty to stay informed about politics and educate herself about candidates and ballot measures. She read as much as she could and weighed issues carefully before casting her votes and instilled this sense of responsibility in her children.

Surviving are her husband Dave, son Tom (Michelle) Matson of Portland, Oregon, daughter Sarah (Javier) Reyna of Seattle, Washington, and four grandchildren: Hayley (Austin) Brusse, Brynn Matson, Max Reyna, and Jack Reyna. Additionally, she is survived by her brother, John Weaner of Defiance, Ohio. She was preceded in death by her parents, Karl and Dorothy (Houck) Weaner.

Funeral service will be at 1:30 pm on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at Peace United Church of Christ, 9123 Aboite Center Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804 with visitation one hour prior at 12:30 pm. Burial will follow in Lindenwood Cemetery.

Memorials in Zo’s memory may be made to the Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802 (www.acpl.lib.in.us) or to NPR WBNI/WBOI, P.O. Box 8459, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46898 (www.wboi.org).

Fond memories may be shared at www.mccombandsons.com for the family.