Born March 16, 1931 in Rochester, New York to parents Ruth Yantzi Ryan and Arthur Hulburt Ryan.
Died June 20, 2020, Tampa, Florida.
Reverend Arthur Ryan, deceased 1982, and Ruth Yantzi Ryan, deceased 2009, moved the family which included brother David Ryan, deceased 2019, from Elizabeth, New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where both "Dottie" and David attended Peabody High School. After graduation Dottie went to Ottawa University in Kansas for 2 years, 1948 to 1950. While there she developed life long friendships with her suite mates. These five women carried on a chain letter for 67 years, which became known to the family as the Round Robin. Dottie is the third of the group to die, survived by Betsy and Lavonne. She completed her nursing degree (BSN) at the University of Pittsburgh, class of 1953.
At a University of Pittsburgh Doctor Nurse dance Dottie met up and coming dentist Raymond A. Matthew from Grafton, West Virginia. They were married November 27, 1953.
They lived for two years in Fort Smith, Arkansas while Ray worked for the Army to pay back his ROTC obligation. They moved to Wichita, Kansas where Ray chose to start his dental practice. On Hood Street Ray and Dottie lived next door to Ann and Harold Conley, and over time these two families grew together. Ann Conley and Dottie Matthew remained the closest of friends throughout their lives.
Raymond's father Donley A. Matthew, a carpenter and general contractor, moved from West Virginia and built a house on Forest View Drive west of Wichita. Ray and Dottie moved there in 1959. She lived there the next 50 years, and raised four children; Elizabeth Ann (1956), Connie Sue (1957), Donley Allen II (1959), and David Arthur (1961). Of course Ann Conley was also having her children Cindy, David and Steven at the same time. They shared the tasks of child rearing and went on many adventures with all the children.
Dottie had a fifth child, Danny, who died at 4 months of congenital heart defect in 1965, breaking Dottie's heart.
After ten years of raising children, including for 18 months Kim, Connie and Jackie Matthew in 1969, Dottie returned to work in Nursing. By 1979 she had acquired her Master in Nursing from Wichita State University. From 1965 to 1995 she specialized in Critical Care. She joined the American Association of Critical Care Nurses at it's conception. Her nursing career coincided with and contributed to the development of specialized nursing. From 1980 to 1998 she taught nursing, retiring from Bethel College as a tenured professor. Dottie always said she never wanted to be anything but a nurse, and her dedication to this service was evident to all who knew her.
In 2004 Dottie began spending more time in Florida where her mother lived. She built a town home in Sarasota and joined the Red Hat Society, among many other social activities.
Dottie also loved to travel. In 1996 she traveled to Russia to be a guest speaker at a nursing conference and took her 89 year old mother along. This earned flowers in tribute from the Russians who were impressed by this great age.
In 2003 she visited Hong Kong and Singapore on behalf of Ottawa University. That year she became a Life Trustee in honor of her service and dedication to Ottawa University. She has been on the Board of Trustees since 1982. Many Hulburts attended O.U. between 1917 and 1929, in fact Dottie's parents Arthur Hulburt Ryan met Ruth Yantzi there. Family support of O.U. goes back 3 generations, Chester (Arthur's uncle) and Emma Hulburt donated the chimes for the school's organ.
In 2009, after the death of her Mother, Dottie moved to Tampa and bought into University Village Independent Living. There Dottie served on the Health Services and Housekeeping Committees. She enjoyed swimming and playing bridge, as well as the freedom from cooking the facility provided.
The last few years her health restricted her activities. As a member of Forest Hills Presbyterian Church she could still receive and practice the blessings of her faith. If Dottie could write her own obituary, it would simply be...Dorothy Ryan Matthew, a life lived to the glory of Jesus Christ in the service of others.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ottawa University Annual Fund or Arthur and Ruth Yantzi Endowment Scholarship.
Memorial Service will be held in Kansas at the Olivet Baptist Church, 3440 W. 13th St. N., Wichita, KS 67203. 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 10th.
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