Leroy L. Matz

Leroy L. Matz passed away on December 1, 2015. Lee was born on July 3, 1933 to Martha Hiebert Matz and Gustav Matz in Hillsboro Kansas, he was the 6th of 7 children. Lee often talked about how lucky he thought he was to have grown up in a small tight knit, religious town where everyone knew each other. He reminisced often about working in the summers in Chugwater, WY, his brother Clint, and sisters Elda and Myrtle lived in Chugwater, he also reminisced about working in the oil fields in WY in the summers during high school. Lee served in the Army during the Korean war, he was stationed in LA and CA. Lee married Betty Richert on August 3, 1955. Lee and Betty lived in McPherson Kansas, where he had an upholstery shop. Their only child Lori was born in April of 1956. The family moved to Denver in 1962 and settled in Northglenn CO. Lee work at auto body and paint shops as an upholsterer for several years. Lee began working for Farmers Alliance Insurance Companies as a claims adjuster, by the time he retired in 1998, he held the position of Regional Claims Manager. During the summers Lee, Betty and Lori spent almost every weekend camping and water skiing with friends and family. Often the family spent weekends as well as vacations camping, fishing, and water skiing in WY usually at Glendo, with family and friends, where the fishing was fabulous and the fish were enormous. Lee was close to his brothers, sisters and nieces and nephews, the family spent a lot of time on weekends with family in Chugwater throughout the year. Lee & Betty's home was always open to family and friends, several nieces and nephews came to Denver to find jobs, and lived there until they could get on their feet, everyone remembers and talks about enjoying those days. In 1979 Lee & Betty became grandparents to their first grandchild, Shelly and in 1982 their second grandchild Tom Jr. arrived. Lee & Betty were wonderful parents and grandparents that doted on Lori, Shelly and Tom. In 1996 Taylor, their first great-grandchild was born and what a GREAT grandchild did they think he was! In 1998 Lee retired to care for Betty who had fought a long battle with cancer, and shortly after, she passed away. Shelly and Tommy spent a great deal of time with their grandparents growing up, as have the great grandchildren. Lee became active in a bowling leagues and golf leagues after retirement. Lee golfed often with nephew Don Ebel and Don's wife Peggy. They took a golf trip every summer that Lee really looked forward to and had a blast on. One summer they had a pretty scary experience while traveling, they were almost hit head on by an older man that fell asleep at the wheel, Don was driving Lee's car and made the perfect correction to avoid an accident, which resulted in only being sideswiped instead of having a head-on collision, nobody was hurt, but everyone was shook up. Lee was also active for several years in WMWA, Widowed Men and Women of America. In 2005 Lee's 2nd great grandchild, Angie was born, then Zoya came along in 2008, Great-Daughter-In-Law Megan and Great Granddaughter Lily joined our family in 2009 and Toryn arrived in 2010. The family gathered at Lee's house often, and spent many happy hours and occasions there. Lee was devoted to his family, and loved all the time spent with them. He is loved deeply by his daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren, brothers and nieces nephews, and will truly be missed. The family finds great comfort in knowing that he has been reunited with his wife Betty, a child that was lost by miscarriage, his parents and his siblings Elda, Clint, Myrtle, and LaVera as well as numerous other family and friends upon his arrival in Heaven, and that there was great celebration as he entered his new life in God's magnificent kingdom. Memorial Services will be held on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at Ten Thirty in the Morning at the Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 9998 Grant Street, Thornton, Colorado. You are invited to a reception in honor of Leroy L. Matz immediately following the service in the reception center. Graveside Services will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetary, Area B, on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at Two Thirty in the Afternoon. Please send condolences and share memories with the family by signing the guestbook below.