"Jerry was truly one of a kind! My memories are full with seeing him concentrate and work on a project for the corps. He was very focused. And while he was not afraid to tell you what was on his mind, he was a great listener and had an infectious smile and laugh...he was always there for you! A very dedicated man. He will be missed incredibly by his hundreds of drum corps brothers and sisters. Craig Mason"
In loving memory of
Gerald "Jerry" L. Matson
June 30, 1939 - January 27, 2018
McFarland- Gerald "Jerry" L. Matson, age 78, passed away peacefully, at his home with his family by his side, on Saturday, January 27, 2018 of pancreatic cancer. Jerry was born in Lake Mills on June 30, 1939, the son of Elmer H. and Mary M. (Mueller) Matson. He graduated from Lake Mills High School class of 1957, where he was an honor student, spelling champion, and active in band, football, basketball and golf. Jerry proudly served his country in the U.S. Army from 1963 until 1969, where he was a member of the Signal Corps, and was stationed in Korea from 1963-1965. Jerry graduated from UW-Madison with a B.S. in Zoology in 1968. While attending the UW he met a young lady whom he would build his life with. On May 5, 1962 Jerry married Dorothea "Dori" Siggelkow in Madison. He dedicated his working career to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was the Senior Lecturer for the Physiology Department for over 30 years until his retirement in 2002. Jerry enjoyed cycling, hunting and fishing, paddling, sailing, Nordic skiing, photography, woodworking, gardening and was an avid do-it-yourselfer. He was a proud father to his son Steve, and was a dedicated parent volunteer with the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps and Madison Junior Scouts for 11 years. Jerry served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors, Equipment Manager, bus driver and equipment semi driver. His DIY skills allowed him to build various equipment projects for the corps as well as repairing horns and drums. Jerry loved to travel. He and his wife Dori and their son Steve took many trips all over the world, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand, Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Canada, Alaska and Hawaii. After retirement, Jerry and Dori purchased a 5th Wheel RV and began traveling the U.S. eventually visiting all 48 states as well as several Canadian provinces. He was a member of the WI Excel RV Club. Jerry will be missed by all who knew him. He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Dori Matson of McFarland; son, Steve Matson and grandsons, Ryan Matson and Cole Gooder, all of Minneapolis; brother, Bill (Ann) Matson of Carpinteria, CA; nephews, Chris (Michelle) Matson and Tyler (Bridget) Matson of CA; brother-in-law, Lyle (Kathleen) Siggelkow of Middleton; niece, Emily Siggelkow (friend, Ken Leonhardt); grand nieces and nephews, Audrey, Sawyer, Corrine and Cody Matson all of CA. A celebration of Jerry's life will be held at the 5100 Club, 5100 Erling Avenue, McFarland, on Saturday, May 12, 2018 from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM, with a remembrance service at 1:30 PM concluding with all Madison Scouts in attendance singing You'll Never Walk Alone. Refreshments will follow. At Jerry's request please dress casual and be comfortable. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Carbone Cancer Center, UW Hospital, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792. Please share your memories of Jerry by posting Tributes.
Cress Funeral Service
5801 Highway 51
McFarland, WI 53558
(608) 838-0655
Tributes
"Jerry was truly one of a kind! My memories are full with seeing him concentrate and work on a project for the corps. He was very focused. And while he was not afraid to tell you what was on his mind, he was a great listener and had an infectious smile and laugh...he was always there for you! A very dedicated man. He will be missed incredibly by his hundreds of drum corps brothers and sisters. Craig Mason"
"Dear Dori and Steve. Sorry to hear of your loss. Remember fondly our time with the Madison Junior Scouts and the Madison Scouts. All your devotion and hard work was remarkable. Rosemary, Roger and Steven Lee"
"Dear Dori and Steve....please know that I am with you in spirit as you celebrate Jerry?s love and earthly life. Jerry was so supportive of my time with the Scouts. And Dori, I could not have done it without you! Much love....Michael Turner"
"Although I'm sad about losing Jerry, I feel really lucky to have had him as our uncle. He always took the time to show us something fun. There were always the projects to tinker with, the ancient artifacts in the basement, and of course skeet shooting by the barn. We really had some great times in McFarland and I'm thankful to have Jerry, Dori, Steve, and Ryan as family. We're sending our love from California during this difficult time. Thank You Jerry, for being such a great role model. Chris Matson "
"Dori and Steve, I was very saddened to hear of Jerry's passing. He was such a good man. As a Cross Country and Track coach, I found his help and support, as well as his knowledge of physiology to be extremely helpful to me. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you during this difficult time. Bruce Fischer"
" I first knew Jerry in our mutual Lake Mills Church as Elementary School students where his mother was also a teacher. Years later we shared Madison Drum and Bugle Corp adventures as our sons marched together, achieving 1st place in the 1988 DCI World Championship Finals! Jerry and Dori generously offered a parking spot for our RV for many years at their McFarland home and we were always greeted with welcome smiles and a helping hand - and we were always 'taken back' with his detailed home-site landscaping, done to perfection as with everything he did. Jerry's big, loving smile will always be with us all. God Bless. - Ron & Diane & son, Kent Rockow"
"On behalf of the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, an organization to which Jerry, Dori and Steve dedicated so much of their lives, I offer our sincerest condolences. All of us affiliated with the Madison Scouts are better people for knowing Jerry. His contributions to the corps are too numerous to mention. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Matson family. As we say in the corps, they Will Never Walk Alone. - Gregg Auby"