William Matthews

Doctor William E. Matthews, age 84, of Wayne, passed away on Friday, February 3, 2023.

Bil, as he preferred to spell his name, was born in London, England and raised in Knaresborough, a town and parish in the Borough of Harrogate, and Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. He was the son of the late William and Edith (Mann) Matthews.

After receiving his Doctorate in organic chemistry from Kings College in London, England, Dr. Matthews relocated to Australia where he served as a chemist with the Monsanto Company, an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation. In 1966 he relocated to St. Louis, Missouri where he continued to be employed by Monsanto. In 1968 he earned his master’s in business administration and, in 1972, a doctorate in business administration. From there, Dr. Matthews was off to Germany where he took a management position with ITEK Corporation. In 1975, he moved to Denver, Colorado and then to Iceland where he taught business management at the University of Iceland. He eventually returned to the United States where he ran a consulting firm in Colorado.

In 1984, while on a trip to San Francisco, Bil met a dear woman named Patricia Belen. They fell in love and married on August 31, 1984 in San Francisco. In 1989, he and his family moved to New Jersey where he took a professorship in marketing and management at William Paterson College. Dr. Matthews served in that position until retirement in 2018.  

With out a doubt, one of Bil’s favorite pastimes was following and rooting for an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London, England called the Chelsea Football Club,. He tried his best to never miss a game, even if it meant watching them play at eight-o-clock in the morning due to the international time difference. He was also an avid reader whose favorite genre was American History and, throughout his working days, Dr. Matthews was able to visit quite a few destinations throughout the world but in his leisure time he also loved to travel. He literally traveled around the world to places including Italy, France, Iceland, Germany, Hungary, Holland, South Africa, Alaska, the Philippines, and to one of his favorites – the Galapagos Islands. There was also an Alaskan cruise with his whole family that he especially cherished. His travels were the perfect excuse to engage in another favorite hobby - photography. 

Bil had a unique sense of humor. When William Paterson College (WPU) changed the schools name to William Paterson University (WPU) he claimed that, ever since, he was on an endless search for good smells. He suggested to his daughter at her community’s DARE program that she should dare to not put her nose in a light socket and, before there were DVRs to record live television, if someone blocked the view of the program he was watching, he’d tell them that they made a better door than a window. Probably one of his funniest bits was being born in England and kiddingly boasting that he spoke pretty good English for a foreigner. He loved anything that was sweet tasting and always claimed that the best part of any meal was dessert, especially if it contained British chocolate in it.

Bil was a kind man who could light up a room and who truly enjoyed a good conversation about anything with anyone, as long as it had nothing to do with politics. He was a fun “Grandpa” and “Papa Bil” to his grandchildren and was loved and appreciated by his entire family. When asked was they would miss the most about him no longer being here, they simply replied “his mere presence.”

Bil was the beloved husband of Patricia, loving father of Darcey Matthews of Houston, Texas, Garrett Matthews and wife Sandra Matthews of Marshfield, Massachusetts, Kendra Glatstian and husband Scott of Wayne, and Karlena Matthews of Wayne, cherished grandfather of Alexa Matthews, Caitlin Matthews, and Nathan Glatstian. He is also survived by his former wife Nan Matthews.

A time of sharing will immediately follow visitation and begin in the funeral home at 5:00 PM. 

Because of Bil’s compassion for those in need, in lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in his name are asked to consider:

Community Foodbank of New Jersey (CFBNJ)

31 Evans Terminal

Hillside, NJ 07205

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You also donate by calling 908-355-3663.