Stan Matzke, Jr., 84, of Lincoln was a native Nebraskan, born and raised in Seward and Lincoln passed away November 2, 2017.
Stan earned a B.S. in Agriculture and a Masters in Educational Psychology from UNL where he lettered 4 years on the men’s basketball team. He was an officer in the U.S. Army; dairy farmer; instructor and department head at Southeast Community College in Milford. In 1965, Stan became the first director of the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. In 1968 he joined the College of Agriculture at UNL as Assistant to the Director of Resident Instruction. He was appointed by Governor Exon to lead the Department of Economic Development in 1971. During his tenure, he and his assistant, John Rosenow, started the national Arbor Day foundation and coined the slogan “Nebraska, the Good Life”. From ’73-’78 he led the Department of Administrative Services for the Exon administration. When Gov. Exon moved to the U.S. Senate Stan became Assistant to the President of Southeast Community College in Lincoln and in 1982 he joined the Nebraska Bankers Association as Executive Vice President.
During his tenure he developed a strong statewide education program for bankers, reorganized the Nebraska Electronic Transfer System (NETS) and guided bankers through the agricultural crisis of the ‘80’s.
Stan was a people person. One of his strengths was helping people develop in their job by giving them positive reinforcement. He was a professional and personal mentor to countless people throughout his life. Stan had a lifelong interest in good government and ran for political office including Secretary of State and Mayor of Lincoln.
His family will always remember him as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and role model. He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Dorothy, his children Allen (Pam) Matzke, Jeanne (Todd) Flaska, and John (Beth) Matzke; and 8 grandchildren, Kimberly, Joey, and Kelly Matzke; Scott and Eric Flaska; Luke (Clarissa) Matzke, Aaron Matzke, Lori (Davis) Behle.
Stan retired in 1991. For 20 years Stan and his wife, Dorothy lived on 80 acres south of Lincoln near Panama, NE. They planted over 7000 trees and shrubs.
He helped organize HEARTLAND NUTS ‘N MORE, a nut processing cooperative in Valparaiso, Nebraska and served as its first chairman. Stan was awarded the Nebraska Forest Service State Foresters Award in 2007. He won the UNL Alumni Achievement Award and joined the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement in 1995. In 1968 he won the Nebraska Agribusiness Award for outstanding contribution to Nebraska Agriculture and was a long time member of the Southeast Community College Foundation Board.
Memorial Service: 11:00 a.m. Monday (11-6-17) First-Plymouth Congregational Church, 2000 D Street with Rev. Dr. Jim Keck officiating.
Memorials to the Southeast Community College Stan Matzke Jr. Scholarship or First-Plymouth Church.