Susan Winkler Matthews, 85, died on Friday, April 22 at her home in Vero Beach.
Born in Vincennes, Ind., on July 27, 1925, she was the daughter of Claude Curtis Winkler and Nell Shugert Winkler. She graduated from Stephens College and DePauw University where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.
After graduating she moved to New York City to start her career in fashion design.
On September 1, 1951 she married Richard Lindsley Matthews.
Upon moving to Germany in 1960, she and her husband were co-founders of the Frankfurt International School, one of the largest International Schools in Europe.
In 1963 she and her family moved to Morristown, New Jersey where she became a docent, fundraiser and loyal supporter of The Seeing Eye.
She co-owned Interiors By Papillion and continued her interior design business in New Jersey and New York until retiring to Vero Beach.
After their retirement to Vero Beach in 1991, she and Dick continued traveling aboard with International Executive Service Corps volunteering to help stabilize economies in Latvia and Russia.
While in Vero Beach, she became an avid painter, displaying her works at the Riomar Country Club Art Show, as well as a member of a local Bridge Club.
She was a former member of the Riomar Country Club and Riomar Yacht Club, and also a significant supporter and contributor of the Indian River Medical Center.
Her summers were spent on Nantucket where she was a member of the Nantucket Garden Club, Nantucket Yacht Club and Sankaty Golf Club.
She is predeceased by her husband of 49 years, Richard Matthews in 2000, sister Helen Davis, brothers Howard Winkler and Claude Winkler.
Survivors include two daughters, Claudia Kilvert, of Barrington, R.I., and Lindsley Royster, of Gordonsville, Va.; three grandchildren, Cary Simon, Jesse Royster and Graham Kilvert; and many friends.
The Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be given to Indian River Medical Center, 1000 36th Street, Vero Beach FL 32960; Nantucket Cottage Hospital, 57 Prospect Street Nantucket, MA 02554 or The Seeing Eye, 10 Washington Valley Road, Morristown, NJ 07960.
