Paul Joseph Mathews Jr.

PAUL J. MATHEWS died peacefully in his sleep, at home, on May 25. Paul was the father of 4 children and grandfather to two girls. He was the oldest of 11 children. Dr. Mathews is survived by his wife, Loretta; his adult children Kimberly, Heather, Amy and Timothy; his grandchildren Logan and Sydney. He was Associate Professor of Respiratory Care, School of Allied Health, Associate Professor in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitative Science and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Center on Aging, University of Kansas. Dr. Mathews received his Respiratory Therapy training at the Yale-New Haven Medical Center; New Haven, Connecticut. He earned undergraduate degrees (ASRT/BS Health Services Administration) from Quinnipiac College; Hamden, Connecticut, and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the University of Hartford. He earned his Ed.S. as well as his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He was a member of Lambda Beta, the Respiratory Care Honor Society; Sigma Xi, the International Scientific Research Honor Society; Pi Lambda Theta, the Education Honor Society and the Research Gate. He won several research awards, served as a Project HOPE International Fellow, he held an Honorary Professorship at the University of Costa Rica and the Universidad Santa Paula, San Jose, Costa Rica and Honorary Membership in the Philippine Society for Respiratory Care. He has served as a Visiting Professor at Collegio Beltran, Bogotá Columbia; The National University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Mihn City, Vietnam; the University of Costa Rica and Universidad Santa Paula, San Jose Costa Rica. He also served as a consultant to the Nursing Department of Singapore General Hospital; Visiting Professor at the Joint meeting of the Critical Care Medicine and Nursing Society of Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China. He was a Consultant for the Costa Rican Commission on Respiratory Care and was a curriculum Consultant on Respiratory Care to the University Autonomous de Central America. He received the A. Gerald Shapiro MD Award in 1990. He has published over 200 articles in various national medical, nursing and allied health journals; he has authored chapters in 10 books and co-authored 3 texts. He served on 7 editorial boards for Respiratory Care, Nursing and Multidisciplinary journals and lectures at many national and international meetings. He has earned many awards and honors in the Respiratory Therapy field in the US as well as around the world. His work with Project Hope assisted in updating and growing the Pulmonary Respiratory centers of Costa Rica. His achievements include lobbying for banning smoking on domestic flights. He was past-president of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). He has held many committee positions and chairmanships within the AARC and was selected to AARC Life Membership in 1990. He was a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians and of the AARC. He was a member of the New York Academy of Sciences. Paul has also served as a consultant/reviewer for the US FDA, US Public Health Service and NIH, The Readers Digest, the Governments of Costa Rica, Vietnam and the World Health Organization. He was an expert witness and consultant on multiple court filings. He has been listed in Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the Midwest, Who's Who in Science and Technology, Who's Who in Medicine and Health Care, Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in Education and International Men of Achievement. He served his community as a member of the Board of Health and as Assistant Commissioner of The Agawam MA Athletic Association (Swimming and Soccer). Mathews was a Member of the Executive Board of the Pioneer Valley Swim League and the Western New England Swim League. He also served as Swimming Official for US Swimming as both a USA Swim Stroke and Turn Judge and as a Certified Swimming Referee.