Dr. Alexander Matthews
Dr. Alexander Matthews
Dr. Alexander Matthews' life was long and full, characterized by his devotion to the medical profession, his strong political commitment to social justice, and his love of travel, literature, and family. He was born in New York City on September 8, 1924, the son of recent Greek immigrants. As a young boy he returned to northern Greece and attended Anatolia College from 1935-1940, where he immersed himself in studying the sciences, foreign languages as well as Greek, English and American literature. During WWII he joined the Resistance Movement against the Nazis. Working as a translator, he was later recruited by the British Special Forces during the Greek Civil War before returning to the United States in 1945. His fiancée, Anna Koutsiatsias, arrived in New York City one year later to become his devoted wife of 52 years and the mother of their three children. Following Ann Matthews's death, he wedded Linda Kay Warren, and the two remained happily married for another 21 years.
Dr. Matthews earned his BA degree in Biology from Boston University and his Medical Degree from the State University of New Yor...[more]
View Full Online Obituary and Tributes
He served in the US Public Health Service from 1952 to 1959 and earned the rank of Commander. During this period, he completed his general surgical and thoracic surgical residencies before settling in Iowa, where he proudly made Des Moines his home. Having earned a reputation as a stellar and innovative surgeon, he was elected as Chief of Surgery, Chief of Staff and member of the Board of Directors for Iowa Lutheran Hospital. Following his retirement from active surgical practice in 1990, he served as an advisor and then Deputy Medical Director of the Iowa Stavropol Medical Exchange Program, leading the American delegation to Russia and Central Asia to help rectify high infection rates in urban and rural hospitals. Fascinated by the world's cultures, he returned to the region on six different occasions.
In June of 1995, Dr. Matthews assumed the duties of Chief Medical Officer at the West Des Moines Military Entrance and Processing Station (MEPS), where he increased the diversity and number of specialized consultations available to soldiers enlisting in the service, rigorously revamping and streamlining their application procedures. In 2008 he transitioned to working as a part time physician at MEPS until his final retirement in 2017, when he was also recognized by AHEPA (the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) for his military service.
At the ripe age of 92, he launched his final project, one focused on the literature he so valued. Keeping a promise made in his youth to the famed modern Greek writer, Elias Venezis, he translated Venezis's The Number 31328, an autobiographical novel about the Asia Minor Catastrophe of the 1920s which launched one of the largest refugee crises of the 20th century.
To anyone whose life he touched, however briefly, Alexander was a thoughtful and gracious man whose fierce sense of self-determination, ethics and scholarly breadth made him a natural and respected leader. He will be remembered as a beloved spouse, father, physician, colleague and friend.
He is survived by his wife, Linda Matthews, son Andrew (Grace) Matthews, daughter Lydia Matthews; 3 granddaughters Abby (Andy Rury) Matthews, Melissa (Jason) Bland and Andrea Matthews; 2 great grandchildren Caiden and Maddie Bland; stepdaughter Christina (Brandon) Keiter; 2 step-grandchildren Alexandra Coppock and Cole Grebner and brother-in-law Larry (Chris) Chapman.
The family invites people to contribute their memories of Dr. Matthews online at IowaFuneralPlanning.com. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local food bank to help those most in need during the COVID-19 crisis.
To read the full obituary, please click here: https://iowafuneralplanning.com/obituary/dr-alexander-matthews/
