Dr. Joseph J. Matunis

Dr. Joseph J. Matunis passed away Jan. 9 at the age of 90.

Born Nov. 1, 1928, in Shenandoah, he was the child of Lithuanian immigrants Frances Meluskey and Joseph Matunis and brother to Rosemary (Gluckow), Dorothy (Clancy), and Eleanor (Gegwich).

He graduated with the Class of 1946, Frackville High School and served in the Army from 1946-48, stationed in Osaka, Japan. Joe attended Penn State University on the GI Bill, graduating in 1953, Phi Kappa Phi, and graduated Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, 1957. He completed his family practice residency at Harrisburg Hospital and then served two years for the Public Health Service in Kotzebue, Alaska.

This funny, wise, generous, amazing man never did anything halfway. He became a family doctor in rural Perry County, Pennsylvania, delivered thousands of babies and cared for the people there as their family doctor for 45 years. Recognizing the need for centralized health services, he was a founding organizer of the Perry Health Center. He was the first recipient of Drexel University's Nathaniel Alston Service Award for mentoring countless medical students and physician assistant students. He was Board Certified in Family Practice and Geriatrics, a member of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, Perry County Medical Society, Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

His wife of 61 years, Suzanne (Hoban), was the love of his life. He told her on their first date that he wanted to live on a farm and have 13 children and she agreed. He sang to her every night before going to sleep.

He was most proud of his 13 children: Frank (Ruth), Mary Jo (Bob Houston), Suzanne (David Pustinger), Joe (Jackie Chang), Ellen, Kate (Tom Wolfe), Mike (Erika), Megan (Jim Schaper), John, Becky (Andy Schriber), David (Jennifer), Marybeth (Mark Ventura) and Emily (Kym). He loved his grandchildren, Matthew, Stephen, Becky, Robert, Abigail, Ryan, Joey, Allison, Claire, Maggie, Maya, Nathan, Jonathan, Tausey, Annaka, Milo, Max, Katie, Emma, Alek, Aidan, Adam, Max, Olivia, Jillian, Noah, Madeline and Logan; and great-granddaughter, Rory. He also deeply loved an adopted daughter, Roslyn, and her family.

He was a farmer, an Eagle Scout, a proud Penn State Alumnus, a historian, genealogist and story-teller. He knew the name of every constellation in the sky and every tree, mushroom and shrub in the forest, and seemingly everything else worth knowing. He loved a good laugh, loved getting his hands dirty, and loved being with family. He enjoyed Lawrence Welk, the opera, finding arrow heads on his farm, gardening and canning/freezing the bounties, making wreaths from the greens in his woods, cider from the apples, and preparing fruits so that Suzanne would make him a pie.

He was a member of St. Bernard Catholic Church.

Visitation with the family will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Boyer Family Funeral Home, New Bloomfield. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Bernard Catholic Church, New Bloomfield, with the Rev. Robert Sharman officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. Bernard Catholic Church, New Bloomfield, or the Family Practice Center PC (Perry Health Center), Loysville, PA. The Boyer family is honored to handle the arrangements for the Matunis family.

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