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Mildred S. Matthews

1915 - 2016

Mildred Matthews Obituary

Mildred Louise Shapley Matthews was born February 15, 1915, in Pasadena, CA to Harlow and Martha Betz Shapley, the eldest of their five children. Her father was a well-known astronomer and worked at Mt. Wilson Observatory. Mildred attended the University of Michigan where she met her future husband, Ralph Matthews. Ralph and Mildred married in 1937, and moved to Altadena in 1945, where they lived for over 30 years and raised three of their four children. Later in life Mildred worked as a scientific editor in Trieste, Italy and at the University of Arizona, where she edited a series of books on space science. Mildred retired at age 81, and traveled extensively for the next 18 years. She moved back to Pasadena in 2005, and enjoyed being close to family and attending the Los Angeles Opera. Mildred is survived by her younger brother Lloyd Shapley, her four children June, Bruce, Melvin and Martha, seven grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.

Published by San Gabriel Valley Tribune on Feb. 17, 2016.
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