Edward Matthews 1937-2026

Eddie was born in Cuyahoga Falls on Aug. 13, 1937, the son of Edward Matthews and Vivian Thrash Matthews. His family moved to Leavittsburg when he was a young child, and he lived in the area his entire life. He graduated from Leavittsburg High School in 1957.

On June 27, 1959, Eddie married his high school sweetheart, Dolores Duke Neff. They were married until her passing in 2020. The family looked to them as a strong model of love and a commitment to marriage through good times and bad.

Eddie recently committed his life to Jesus Christ and is now united with Dolores in heaven.

Everyone who knew Eddie viewed him as a worker, a master craftsman, a creator, a fixer and a perfectionist. There was nothing he could not build or fix. He began working at Copperweld Steel on his 18th birthday and retired there as a first-class machinist when he was 48 years old. During that time, he started his own business, Matthews Industries, and continued with that work until his death. Throughout those many years, he built various machines and fixed machine parts that helped keep many businesses operational. He assisted the Tribune Chronicle when they upgraded their newspaper format to the smaller typeset. Additionally, he sent many of his creations around the world and even built for NASA.

Eddie served his community by keeping the equipment of the local farmers, towing companies and mechanics up and running. He sponsored many youth athletic teams and helped local students with their science projects. Eddie could often be found in his shop completing a “rush job” to keep the businesses and farms running.

Eddie had a wide variety of interests throughout his life, including leatherwork, sewing, gardening, shooting and motorcycles, to name a few. He was accomplished in all of these.

He often spent his leisure hours honing his marksmanship at the Kinsman Conservation and the Leavittsburg Athletic clubs, where he made many friends and shared this hobby with his family.

The glittering jewel of his creativity is the family home that he designed and built. Utilizing the wood on his property, he created every piece of ornate woodworking within the home. He built it large enough to accommodate our expansive family gatherings, which often included many friends and friends to be. This legacy will remain for years to come.

Eddie is survived by his four loving children, Kim (Don) Davis, Carla (Mark) Hall, Connie Matthews and Chris Matthews; six grandchildren, Adrienne (Brian) Pentsa, Don (Jesslyn) Davis, Ashlie Blair, Amanda (TJ) Hall-Rush, Laura (Mark) Hall-Yartz and Mark (Kimmy McCann) Hall; and nine great-grandchildren. He will be sadly missed by his sister-in-law, Katherine Mathews; and his brother-in-law, Joe Neff, whom Eddie cared for for more than 25 years. He also leaves behind many extended family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his grandson, Joseph E. Fuller; and two brothers, Ronald Matthews and Richard “Dick” Mathews.

Eddie’s family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Jacob Petrosky for the loving care and compassion he provided him. His tireless devotion gave us the greatest gift — the gift of time. We also offer our sincerest gratitude to his day-to-day caregiving team — Erin Carter, Courtney Thornton, Emma Miller and Jamie Yoder, who compassionately cared for him. We also offer sincere appreciation to Buckeye Hospice for not only their professionalism but also for understanding what our hearts needed at this most difficult time.

Funeral services will begin at noon Monday, April 6, 2026, at the James Funeral Home, 8 E. Broad St., Newton Falls, OH 44444. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the time of the services. Following the funeral services, he will be laid to rest next to his wife in Braceville Township Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Apostolic Christian Church of Warren, 1454 Oakdale Drive, Warren, OH 44484; or Kinsman Conservation Club, 6722 Township Highway 185, Kinsman, OH 44428.

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