Bettie Elizabeth Dawn Matson

1926 - 2010

Bettie (Elizabeth Dawn) Matson passed away at her home on September 20, 2010 after an 18-month long battle with lung cancer. Bettie was born in Akron, Ohio on July 29, 1926. She moved to California with her family in 1942 and graduated from Inglewood High School. She lived in Torrance the past 41 years. She loved to travel and make new friends having visited all 50 states and several countries. She was especially fond of visiting Ireland, her ancestral home. She loved her family and friends, had a great sense of humor, enjoyed having a good time and touched many, many lives. Bettie is survived by her loving husband of 58 years, Don Matson. She is also survived by her sons and daughters, Bill and Virginia and Ron and Cheryl Matson; her precious grandchildren, Mike, Patty, Monica and Diana Matson; sisters, Jane Pogreba and Margie Hier; and numerous nieces, nephews, other family, friends and neighbors. In still one more selfless act, Bettie has donated her body to scientific research and perhaps this will someday help someone else suffering from a terrible disease. And so, we only plan to have a small family service at a later time. If you wish to honor Bettie's life, in lieu of flowers, please send us a note with your story or remembrance of Bettie's that we can share with Don at our family get-together. A charity near and dear to her heart was St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Donations can be made in her name at www.stjude.org. Please sign the guestbook at www.dailybreeze.com/obits.