His care for his wife Cecily, who in later life had Parkinson's disease and then dementia, was "absolutely heroic".
"Even after she was in Broadview and didn't know who he was, he would visit her twice a week, and it would break his heart to do that."
Always interested in solving problems, Matthews was fascinated by science and new methods. He liked tinkering, collected old tractors, took on Kaimanawa horses and was a generous landlord.
He was born in 1929 and his early life was spent in northern Argentina, where his father managed a large sugar plantation. He got interested in amateur theatre, both within the ex-pat community there and at school.
Aged 20 he went to England to get a Bachelor of Science degree at Reading Agricultural College, where he became a strong rower. While there he also re-met the daughter of the plantation owner, Cecily Capes, and they fell in love.
By the time he had his degree Argentina was in chaos and the two looked for somewhere better to farm. Matthews moved to New Zealand in 1954, helping relocate a mob of stud cattle.
After working in Hawke's Bay he and Cecily bought a farm near Whanganui in 1958. They moved to their Glendalla farm in Kaukatea Rd with two children.
The land was covered in gorse and the old house had been condemned. Cecily had to wash nappies in the stream and the Wanganui Tramping Club helped fix the house.
"It was a very modest house. Life was lived in the kitchen around the woodburner stove."
After the farm improved Matthews got involved with the Amdram Theatre, mainly as stage manager and set designer. He loved the big musicals.
The theatre put on productions at the Wanganui Opera House every year. When the heritage building became rundown Matthews helped fix it for the future.
"I couldn't sit back and let that grand old theatre be wound down," he said at the time.
He was the inaugural chairman of Friends of the Wanganui Opera House for nine years, and helped stage several operas.
He and Cecily were keen trampers. He had a central role in carrying a new wood stove into the club hut on Mount Ruapehu - a watershed occasion for the club.
Through tramping Matthews got involved in search and rescue, and was field controller over a large area for 15 years. He was also an active New Zealand Historic Places Trust member, working on heritage buildings such as Colonial House at Pipiriki.
He and Cecily had five children, four boys and a girl. He was a devout Catholic, by conversion, and did his bit on school committees.
His wife died in 2014. Matthews kept on farming, on a smaller area, well into his 80s.
"He was still feeding out on frosty mornings."
In September last year he suffered a stroke, and moved to Jane Winstone Retirement Village.
St Anne's Church in Whanganui East was packed for his funeral. He is survived by five children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
- By Laurel Stowell with input from Shirna Matthews and Rosemary Tennant
