Col. Ronald L. "Ron" Matz

Ron Matz, retired Colonel of the United States Air Force, passed away at the age of 72 on March 23, 2016 with his family by his side. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Rhoda; his daughter, Kelli Strader and husband, Eric; grandsons, Daxton and Devon Strader; his sister, Carol Wulf; his brother, Jerry Matz and wife, Karla; and numerous loving friends and family members. Ron was born on June 16, 1943 in Perham, Minnesota and grew up on a dairy farm. He spent his childhood working on the farm and attending Lutheran church. After graduating from Moorhead State College, Ron entered the United State Air Force and trained as a fighter pilot. He defended his country in the Vietnam War and it was here that he found his calling, as he spent 26 years flying F-4s and F-16s all over the world with assignments in both the US and Europe. He retired from the Air Force in 1991 as a full Colonel. He continued working with government contractors before retiring full time in 2001. Retirement for Ron and Rhoda meant traveling full time in an RV from Key West to the Arctic Circle. They loved exploring the historical sites and traveled with friends to Alaska and the Maritime provinces of Canada. They loved the adventure and cherished the many friendships they made. Once Ron became a Papa, his life revolved around his grandsons' hobbies, guiding them in their pursuits of quarter midget car racing, baseball and hockey. He loved watching their games and races and made Arizona his home base during the winter to be closer to his grandkids. Ron was active in his church and RV clubs and his passions included civil war history, traveling, and restoring classic Thunderbirds, Mustangs, Corvettes and tractors. He also loved spending time with his grandsons, taking them on road trips in the RV all over the country when they were out of school for the summer. Those were special moments they all cherished. Ron was especially devoted to his wife, Rhoda, and together they lived 50 golden years full of adventure. His knowledge of literally everything, his ability to design, build and fix anything and his love of his family will be forever missed. He will be remembered as 'one of the good guys'. God speed. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2016, 11:00 a.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 210 Alvarado Drive SE. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ron's name to the Wounded Warriors Project. Please visit our online guestbook for Ron at www.frenchfunerals.com.
FRENCH - Lomas
10500 Lomas Blvd. NE
505-275-3500