Matthew Scholtz

SCHOLTZ, Matthew (April 6, 1946 – June 19, 2023)
He came into this world naturally, but left it on his own terms, on June 19, 2023, after a four-month, long suffering battle with complications from cancer.
Matthew Scholtz is especially pleased to make his final exit currently, to avoid the next 18 months of crazy, unprincipled and ugly American politics.
Born in Czechoslovakia on April 6, 1946, Matt lived in Germany until his family immigrated to Kitchener, Ontario in April 1951. After graduating from St. Jerome's High School in Kitchener, he attended the University of Western Ontario, where he earned an Honours B.A. in History and English, followed by a Masters in Library Science.
In August, 1970, he was appointed Chief Librarian of the Tillsonburg Public Library, a position he held until his retirement in September 2010. He founded and became the first chairperson of the Association of Small Public Libraries of Ontario (1980) and served on many area and provincial library committees.
In his early tenure at the library, he was given a professional opportunity: design and manage a new Public Library. The new building opened in June 1975, but without his presence at the official opening ceremonies. Exhausted by the final preparations, he wound up in the hospital with pneumonia.
In 1984, he edited and provided photographs for "Tillsonburg: A History, 1825-1982", which was co-authored by J.I. Cooper and John Armstrong. A decade later, he wrote "Tillsonburg Diary: A Chronological History 1824-1994", based on a monograph by Anna M. Bailey. His last book, "Tillsonburg Album: A Photographic History", was published in 2014.
Aside from being Library CEO, he served as Executive Secretary of the Tillsonburg Chamber of Commerce (1977 - 2010), and as a freelance correspondent for the London Free Press (1976 – 1990). For the Tillsonburg News, he wrote two weekly columns over 40 years, one dealing with library issues and the other with local history.
He was active in Theatre Tillsonburg, on and off stage, as well as administratively as the long-term, long-suffering treasurer of the Theatre Board.
There was nothing that pleased him more than to make people smile by telling a joke. It was nothing unusual for him to approach a stranger and ask," Did you hear about the fire in London? Yes, a shoe factory burned down. 2,000 soles were lost! And it was started by a heel!" Or: "If at first you don't succeed, I do not recommend skydiving for you." And everyone's favourite: "A friend suggested I put horse manure on my strawberries. Tried it. Didn't like it. Went back to whipping cream." He always kept his jokes short. That was because if you did not like the first one, he had another for you.
Matt believed that if you can make a person smile, you will not change the world, but you will change theirs.
In September 2010, he retired from the Tillsonburg Library and befriended a student he met in a library correspondence course he had been teaching online since 1995. In October 2011, he married that student, Leni Kraska. Together, they built new lives together, first in Bainsville, Ontario and after 2013, in Tillsonburg.
In his retirement, he enjoyed helping people compose their life story, but his special joy was book repairing. Matt loved to restore books for those who valued them, attracting clients from across Canada.
Matt wanted to recognize the important contribution made by Sue Rodrigues. Some thirty years ago, she failed to win her court case for death with dignity, but she ignited a conversation on that issue that led to our current legislation enabling it. Suffering Canadians owe her a lot.
Predeceased by his wife Betty (1941 – 2010), he is survived by his wife Leni (Magdalena) and sons Stephen (Jessica) and Andrew (Erin). Also survived by step-sons (aka bonus sons) James (Micheline), Peter (Kelly) and Matthew (Shasta). And special brother-in-law Joe Virag.
Cremation has taken place. There was no funeral or visitation. A Celebration of Life will be held at a date, to be announced. Memorial donations to the "Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital Foundation", personal condolences and favourite memories with Matt can be contributed via Matt's online tribute page at www.verhoevefuneralhomes.com or by contacting the Maurice J. Verhoeve Funeral Homes- Burial and Cremation Services Inc., Tillsonburg (519)842-4238.