Gary William MatusGary Matus spent his life doing as he pleased at every opportunity. For Gary, that typically meant doing for others – from his career as a schoolteacher, coach, and counselor, to various handyman projects, to his favorite role as doting grandfather. A former longtime resident of Rockford, Illinois, he died unexpectedly June 22 in Goodyear, Arizona, at age 72.“No one could tell Gary Matus what to do,” noted his wife of 50 years, Patti Matus. That was true not only of how he did his day job and helped raise their kids Jim and Elizabeth, but also the way he approached competitive bodybuilding, restored furniture, made his own fly-fishing flies, took his young granddaughter on unlimited ice cream dates, and filled the swear jar in advance.Through it all, Gary could be counted on to offer a helping hand, an ear to bend, an encouraging word, a good-natured ribbing, or whatever was needed to lighten the load or the mood.Born November 24, 1951, Gary William Matus was the old

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