Robert (Bob) Lynn Matthews of Woodbridge, Virginia died June 4, 2019, in the Veteran’s Hospital in Washington, D.C.; he was 71 years old. Professionally, he earned a Juris Doctorate in Law, and worked in the aerospace industry for Rockwell, McDonnell Douglas, and Boeing. Before moving to Virginia in 2003, he was Director of Contracts for Boeing in California. He retired in 2012, after a long and successful career.
As a child of an Air Force Colonel, Bob traveled extensively, living in Florida, France, Spain, Boston, Texas, Nebraska, and California. As a child, he was fascinated by the natural world. He particularly loved bugs, reptiles, and all the often lesser loved creatures of the earth. As he grew up he developed a passion for music and guitar, as well as a fascination with big ideas. He developed an encyclopedic knowledge of music from folk, blues, rock, soul, jazz, doo-wop, and big band, to contemporary music. He was a voracious reader, who was particularly interested in literary fiction, philosophy, history, detective fiction, true crime, neuroscience, spirituality, and nature writing. He also journaled extensively and wrote short stories and the beginnings of a memoir. He loved to travel and travelled throughout Europe, the British Isles, the Philippines (as a member of the US Air Force), and the Middle East. As he got older, he continued to see the natural world as a place of peace and repose. He always loved photography, but became more serious about his nature photography after his retirement.
Bob was an extremely charismatic person, who was incredibly perceptive of people, and could get to the core of a person within minutes of talking to them. He was intuitive, empathetic, and curious about the lives of the people around him, both loved ones and total strangers. He had an observant, often dark sense of humor. He could see glimpses of humor in the direst of situations, and he would always try to lighten the burden of another’s pain or anxiety by making them laugh. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Mary Matthews of Lompoc, CA, his brother Michael Matthews, and his nephew Bryan Shann. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Barbara Matthews of Woodbridge, VA, his daughter Jennifer Matthews of Richmond, VA, his loyal dog Gidget, and his remaining siblings Ray Matthews Jr., Mary Beth, and Patrice Smith, and their families including Bonnie Matthews (wife of Ray), Shannon Nazarenus (daughter of Ray and Bonnie) and her husband Doug Nazarenus, their children Kaylee, Kaitlin, and Wyatt, Scott Smith (husband of Patrice), Mark Shann (husband of Mary), Bryan Shann’s children Noah and Kobe, Jessica (Mary and Mark’s daughter) and Jeremy Klapproth, and their children Luca and baby Eve, who was born on June 4, 2019, the date of Bob’s death.
Services are scheduled for June 19, 2019 at 10am at Bethel United Methodist Church at 13506 Minnieville Rd., Woodbridge, VA 22192. Military Honors will follow at Quantico National Cemetery at
12pm at 18424 Joplin Rd, Triangle, VA 22172. Visitation is on Tuesday, June 18th at Miller Funeral Home, 3200 Golansky Blvd, Woodbridge, VA 22192 from 4-7pm.
