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I received this notice over on the club's Facebook page. Please keep the Matthews family in you prayers at this time. Also, if you are in the St. Cloud, FL area and can participate in the parade of DeSotos honoring Gordon, please contact Julie.
Its with a heavy heart that I am posting here today that Charles Gordon Matthews former long standing member of the National Desoto Club in his younger years, passed away Saturday March 31st at the age of 98. Gordon had two great loves in his life: his family and classic Desoto's. He owned many over the years but none he liked more than the one in this picture below. Truly his prized possession. Gordon and his wife Lila spent many of their retirement years attending the National Desoto Conventions and even won some awards for the furthest distance traveled driving his 55' from Florida to California. Oh how he loved his car and his bride! The family is looking for any members who might live close to St. Cloud Florida who would be willing to drive their Desoto in a short processional in honor of Gordon on Saturday April 7th around 4:45pm. If that is something of interest to anyone please email me at jmatt14k@gmail.com. Big thanks to the club for all the wonderful memories they provided Gordon and our family over the years. #DesotoStrong
It's supposed to be fun!
1949 De Soto Custom Convertible (project)
Hello All,
We are still trying to pull everything together, not only with our loss, but with preparing for the viewing and funeral.
Gramps sure loved his DeSotos and all the times he spent with you guys. Whenever he and I got together the conversations were about both his cars and all the NDC conventions he and Grams attended. He really loved and respected you guys!
I know this is short notice, but we would greatly appreciate any NDC members in the Orlando area who would honor Gramps by driving their DeSoto in the procession.
If you can please feel free to contact me directly for more info.
Matt Matthews
619-517-2522
mattimuss65@gmail.com
P.S. Please forgive my aunt, she is not a car girl and didn't know that the car in the picture she sent wasn't a DeSoto. I have attached a photo of him and his favorite DeSotos.
Thanks again!
I responded to this on the Facebook page, but wanted to say something here. Gordon was a hell of a fellow. Always prepared to help out someone if needed and a fixture at conventions around the country for many years. He will be missed by all in the club.
Dean 
Dean Mullinax
1957 Fireflite 2 Door Hardtop
1941 DeSoto Deluxe 2 Door Sedan
It's Delightful, It's DeLovely, It's DeSoto!
Gordon helped me get my '55 back on the road many years ago. I took it out for an errand one day and when I was backing out of the local bank I heard a clunk and then no movement, forward or reverse. I had the car towed to a local shop and they determined the left rear axle shaft was snapped.
I remembered Gordon's '55 was sidelined on the way to a long past NDC meet with the same issue. If you knew Gordon it was no surprise that he was carrying a spare axle shaft in his trunk. He swapped shafts with the help of a few other folks and he was back on the road. Since I now needed an axle shaft, I figured "ask the man who snapped one", to borrow a phrase. I called Gordon and explained my plight. He agreed to remove a shaft from one of his parts cars, pack it and ship it for a very reasonable fee. That axle shaft is still in my rear axle housing to this day.
A bit of Gordon soldiers on in my DeSoto. He was one of a kind!
Mark
Gordon will indeed be missed.
My records show that he and his wife won our Hernando De Soto Award in 1992 for "their continuing and ongoing service as ambassadors of good will for the National DeSoto Club." Also, my records show that he had his 1949 Custom club coupe at two of our conventions (White Post, VA, in 1990 and Sacramento, CA, in 1992) and his 1955 Firedome sedan at 12 of our conventions, with the last one being in 2005 when we were up in Canada at Niagara-on-the-Lake.
I believe the event that Mark talks about actually happened while at our 1996 convention at Sunnyvale, CA. The club was caravanning to Big Basin Redwoods State Park when the axle broke. He surprised everyone by having a spare on hand, so one of the other members got out a jack and they did a temporary repair right on the side of the road. After getting the '55 back to the hotel parking lot, a few of them finished the repair. (If you want to see some photos of this, they're on page 2 of the Sep-Oct 1996 issue of the club's magazine.)
Bill
Bob Terpak reminded me about these photos of Gordon and Club assistants working to repair his '55 at a long ago convention. The rear wheel work is to replace a snapped axle shaft.
Mark
