Kerry H. Matthews

Kerry H. Matthews, 52, of Berryton, passed away Friday, October 6, 2006 at his home after battling for many years a cervical spinal cord injury. He was born December 5, 1953 in Topeka, the son of Eugene and Kathryn Matthews. he graduated from Highland Park High School in 1972. He was preceded in death by his mother, Kathryn, March 6, 2005. He married Sheri Lamaster on September 14, 1974 at the Hillcrest Covenant Church in Overland Park, Kansas. She survives. Other survivors include their sons Jeff, Lees Summit, MO; Dave, Berryton and Tom, Topeka. His father Eugene Matthews; brothers Craig, Pat (Kelly) and Steve (Alice) Matthews, all of Topeka. His in-laws, Fred and Joyce Lamaster, Lees Summit, MO; sister-in-law Kathi (Jim) Hertzog, Greenwood, MO; brothers-in-law Ken Lamaster, Belton, MO; Steve (Dawn) Lamaster, Olathe, KS; Dave (Kim) Lamaster, Kansas City, MO, and Scott Lamaster, of Lees Summit MO, plus many nieces and nephews. The last two years a special young man, Jordan Nelson, came into Kerry and Sheris lives. Jordan spent the last 3 summers being Kerrys hands and feet and helping the family. Kerry worked at Pauline Coop, Pepsi-Cola and the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority as an officer with the airport police/cfr where he received a letter of commendation in December 1978. He also worked at St. Francis Hospital in the emergency room, cardiology and respiratory therapy. His childhood dream was to be a firefighter. As a young teen he spent many hours with his Uncle Jim Shehi at Topeka Fire Station #9 and also at the Topeka-Tecumseh Fire Department where he earned the nickname, "JC" for Junior Chief. He became a volunteer with Topeka-Tecumseh Fire Department on January 1, 1973, and was hired as a full time officer in January 1979 and later was promoted to Assistant Chief. He served as a volunteer for over 31 years. He continued to pursue his dream of being a member of the Topeka Fire Department and was hired in September 1980. In March 1985, while fighting a house fire, Kerry was injured when the house porch roof gave way and he went down. He suffered a cervical spinal cord compression which eventually prevented him from remaining in the company. He transferred to Fire Prevention as an Inspector and used his knowledge, instead of fighting fires to preventing them, by inspecting buildings, day care providers, multi-family residences and public assembly facilities. He was the Assistant Fire Marshal upon his disability retirement in June 2004. He was a member of the International Association of Firefighters Local 83 and had attended Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, October 11th at Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene. Burial will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery. He will lie in state after 11 a.m. Tuesday at Penwell-Gabel Southeast Chapel where the family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. that evening. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kerry Matthews Honorary Relief Memorial Topeka Fire Local 83, sent in care of the Topeka Firemans Credit Union, 2447 SE 29th Street, Topeka 66605; the Topeka Youth Project, 1100 SW Gage Blvd, Topeka 66604 or to Midland Hospice Care, 200 SW Frazier Circle, Topeka 66606.To leave a special message for the family, please visit www.Penwell-Gabel.com