Alumni in Memoriam: Kevin Collin Matthews

Kevin Collins (KC) Matthews, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 19 at his home in Falcon Heights. Born on July 24, 1946, he grew up in Roseville, the oldest of Al and Maudie's ten children. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Minnesota, and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he was instrumental in founding the U of M Supercomputer Center. His career and experience in high performance computing and software engineering benefited several companies in the Twin Cities area. Always the scholar, he stayed connected to the classroom after his retirement, pursuing a range of classes at the University of Minnesota from cosmology to Latin, working as a laboratory teaching assistant in the U's chemistry department, and participating with a research team studying the James Webb Space Telescope. Kevin was an exceptional role model of integrity, generosity, and compassion as a husband, father, brother, colleague, and friend. He is survived by his wife Mary Shafer; daughter Maggie; brothers Bill (Hannelore), Rick (Cindy Quehl), Sean (Sue), Greg (Deb Varner), Mark, Dan, and Tony, many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and dear friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Richard Allen (Al) and Joan Collins (Maudie) Matthews, brother Steve, and sister Mary Ellen.