Don Matthys has passed away
Don Matthys, owner of Don’s Light and Magic has passed away at the age of 64.
Don was a friend and an incredible model builder. I’ve known him for over 20 years. We first crossed paths back when I launched the CultTVman website. Don was posting in the model forums on the old Usenet and he was producing detail parts for the 22-inch Cutaway Enterprise. He posted a long multipart article about detailing the Refit Enterprise that I adapted to the website.
Don lived up in Fargo, North Dakota, which is about a million miles from anywhere. Funny thing is, I lived in the same area, attending college in Moorhead, Minnesota back in the mid-eighties. There was a hobby shop in the downtown mall, with some nicely built Enterprise kits in the window. I could see they were built with lights and LEDs and fiber optics, and fully detailed. It turns out those models were built by Don, using Paul Newitt’s books as guides. We never crossed paths back then, but thanks to the internet, we eventually became good friends.
Don joined us at Wonderfest back in 2003. That was the year Polar Lights put out their first 1:1000 scale Enterprise, so it was a good time for Star Trek modelers. That was the only time Don was able to come to the show. Its a long trip from Fargo to Louisville.
He was always creating, always tinkering, always trying to make models better. His work was inspiring to builders. He produced product on a steady basis for 25 years and our models were better because of his work.
I last saw Don in late 2018. I am frequently back in Minnesota to visit family and I still like to get to Fargo to see a few people. Don and I would usually get pizza and beer at Duane’s Pizza in Fargo. We’d swing by a local comic shop in Fargo called Comic Junction and maybe visit a hobby shop out by West Acres. His appartment was a bit of a disaster. One room was filled with tank models displayed on shelves, along with his computers and workbench. Resin parts and open kits were scattered all over the place. It was the work room you would expect from a full time model builder. His kitchen was filled with casting equipment, molds, and bins of parts. There were packages stacked to go out to customers. He was always working to fill orders.
Don Matthys was a veteran who served is country well. He loved his country. He hated Donald Trump. He was devoted to his family, helping care for his mother. He loved science fiction, obviously. Star Trek, Star Wars. The classic television series The Prisoner was a favorite. When I last talked to him, he was watching all the episodes of Doctor Who, in order. He was making pretty good progress.
Don was a colorful guy with a randomness to his thoughts. You could be talking to him about one thing and then suddenly he would change the subject. He had a low, mumbling voice, and was not always easy to understand, but you always knew what he was talking about. He struggled with health issues. He was a heavy smoker and every box of parts I received from him smelled of cigarettes. I would have to let the parts air out before shipping to customers. He was always running behind.
I am sure many of you have the same memories.
I will miss you my friend. I will never forget you. We will meet again someday.
