Obituary of Frederick Earl Matthews
Frederick Earl Matthews passed away peacefully at his Waterloo home on January 12, 2026, just one month shy of his 92nd birthday. He is survived by his wife Mary and his daughters Katherine Matthews (Rob Lee) and Kelly Kuhl (Larry Kuhl). He is also survived by his granddaughter Lydia Kuhl (Ryan Lowe).
Fred was born on February 12, 1934, in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. He was the fifth oldest of 15 children born to Leornard and Marjorie Matthews. Fred recalled many fond memories of growing up in Grand Bank where his father was a carpenter and relatives were fishermen, but there was a twinkle in his eye as he also described his father’s stint as a rum-runner.
Once Newfoundland joined Confederation, Fred took a ferry and then a train to seek his fortunes in Toronto at the age of 15. His first job was with an upholsterer, but he quickly joined Canada Packers for a very long and successful career.
Toronto was also where he met Mary and told his friend immediately that was the girl he was going to marry and the bold prediction was proved true. They married on October 2, 1954, with Mary’s sister Helen as maid of honour and Fred’s good friend Jimmy Fraser as best man. They ultimately celebrated 71 happy years together.
Fred and Mary settled in a new Etobicoke subdivision and raised two daughters surrounded by extended family. He loved gardening with an annual harvest of tomatoes, pole beans, and zucchini. It was also here that Fred discovered a talent and lifelong passion for golf.
Fred’s career flourished and he was promoted to a supervisor/manager at Canada Packers. He was devoted and loyal at a time where companies were loyal in return. He proudly organized elements of the company summer picnic and would only ever buy the best meats which were of course Maple Leaf branded.
Fred was transferred to Kitchener-Waterloo in order to take over the shipping and receiving of a meat processing plant that was purchased and needed a solid managerial hand. This uprooted Mary and Fred away from family and friends but they supported each other in the transition to a quiet neighbourhood in north Waterloo where he continued gardening and golfing.
Fred retired from Canada Packers at the age of 58 and was able to subsequently hone a talent in woodworking just like his father. Anything he built was of the highest quality and long lasting. Looking around his house there isn’t a single room that doesn’t have at least three pieces of furniture made by Fred. He exhibited a talent for carving too, earning multiple red ribbons for delightful carved figures and beautiful chip carving.
Retirement also allowed him to continue to enjoy regular rounds of golf at several of the local courses. He continued to golf even last summer, only recently giving over to using a golf cart as a nod to his age. Recently he has volunteered at the Foxwood Golf Club as the Saturday afternoon supervisor of golf cart rentals.
A private family service is planned with cremation to follow and interment in the spring. The family would like to thank neighbours and friends for their kind words and thoughtful actions.
We miss him so much.
strawberry picking memories
vignette of home
In lieu of flowers, please support the Canadian Cancer Society and perform loving actions to those around you. Donations may be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home at www.erbgood.com or 519.745.8445.