 FEBRUARY 11 • 2021 | 39

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The Fan Behind the Legends

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
D

r. Robert E. “Bob” 
Matthews, of 
Farmington Hills, 
famous for his sports mem-
orabilia collection, died Feb. 
2, 2021, at age 85. A private 
family service was held Feb. 5 
at Dorfman Chapel.
For those who want to 
learn about Hank Greenberg, 
Sandy Koufax, Moe Berg, 
Al Rosen and other Jewish 
sports stars, the place to 
go is the “Matthews Sports 
Exhibit: Jewish Heroes 
& Other Legends,” a per-
manent display of sports 
memorabilia at the Jewish 
Community Center in West 
Bloomfield.
The exhibit opened in 
2012 and is only part of Dr. 
Matthews’ vast collection. 
The collection has so many 
items that 350 or so are 
rotated in and out of the JCC 
exhibit on a seasonal basis.
Stuart Raider is among 
many in the community who 
will miss Dr. Matthews, a 
retired orthodontist.
Raider is president of 
the Michigan Jewish Sports 
Foundation’s board of direc-
tors. Dr. Matthews became a 
board member shortly after 
he was named a Pillar of 
Excellence recipient by the 
foundation in 2016.
“Bob was absolutely ecstat-
ic to be a Pillar,” Raider said. 
“I always enjoyed talking 
to him because he was so 
positive and happy. He and 
his wife, Sandy, truly loved 
coming to the foundation’s 
events.
“Bob did a lot of work as 
a foundation board mem-
ber. He spent his winters in 
Florida, but if you needed 

something done, Bob took 
care of it.”
The Michigan Jewish 
Sports Hall of Fame, overseen 
by the foundation, also is 
based at the JCC.
“The Hall of Fame is a focal 
point of the JCC. Bob’s exhibit 
also is a focal point, especial-
ly because it’s there because 

Bob wanted to share his 
sports memorabilia, not show 
off,” Raider said. “I’d love to 
combine the Hall of Fame 
and Bob’s exhibit someday. It 
would be a perfect marriage.”
The foundation’s Facebook 
page is filled with tributes 
for Dr. Matthews, including 
one from Raider that says, “
A 
gentleman’s gentleman. I was 
lucky to have him as a friend.” 
Other tributes include one 
from Stephen Bernstein: “
A 
wonderful guy. I was honored 
to be inducted as a Pillar of 
Excellence the same year as 
Bob. May the memory of this 
total mensch be a blessing.”

MOE BERG TRIBUTE
Dr. Matthews’ exhibit at the 
JCC gained national atten-
tion in 2019 when acclaimed 
filmmaker Aviva Kempner 
released a documentary on 

Berg titled The Spy Behind 
Home Plate.
Kempner relied on Dr. 
Matthews’ expertise about 
Berg in the making of her 
documentary, with good rea-
son. There’s a Moe Berg Wall 
of Fame at the Matthews JCC 
exhibit.
A sneak peak of the doc-

umentary was held June 20, 
2019, at the Maple Theater 
in Bloomfield Township.
Dr. Matthews introduced 
Kempner that night. It was 
a special night for him for 
another reason. It was his 
84th birthday. 
“This is one of the best 
birthday presents I could 
have asked for,” he said in a 
2019 Jewish News story.
Dr. Matthews’ memora-
bilia on Berg includes Berg’s 
handwritten 1934 income 
tax return, a canceled check 
for $100 signed by Berg 
in 1951, Berg’s World War 
II ration card, a book by 
Winston Churchill from 
Berg’s library, the only 
article written by Berg, a 
piece titled “Pitchers and 
Catchers” that was pub-
lished in Atlantic Monthly, 
and declassified top-secret 

documents.
“Thanks to Bob’s exhibit at 
the JCC, I already knew a lot 
about Moe Berg before I saw 
the documentary,” Raider 
said.
Collecting sports memora-
bilia was Dr. Matthews’ life-
long passion, and he had an 
encyclopedic memory when 
it came to sports. 
His passion for sports may 
have begun as early as 1940, 
at age 5, when he went to his 
first Detroit Tigers game and 
saw Greenberg play for the 
Tigers.
Among the other high-
lights of the Matthews JCC 
exhibit are baseballs, a bat, 
a first baseman’s glove and 
1927 James Monroe High 
School (Bronx, N.Y.) year-
book signed by Greenberg; 
two kippot signed by Koufax, 
the former Los Angeles 
Dodgers pitching star; and 
an original work of art with 
autographs and personal 
notes from 26 current and 
former Jewish Major League 
Baseball players. 
Dr. Mathews was the 
beloved husband of Sandra 
Matthews; dear father of 
Alan Brown and Michelle 
Brown; loving pappa of 
Samuel Brown, Jenna Brown 
and Leah Brown; devoted 
brother-in-law of Dr. Claude 
(Terry) Oster, Dr. Jerry 
Loomus and Irwin Fenster. 
He is also survived by many 
loving cousins, nieces, neph-
ews, other family members 
and friends. 
Charitable contributions 
in his honor should be made 
to Jewish Senior Life, (248) 
661-2999. Arrangements by 
Dorfman Chapel. 

BOB MATTHEWS 
HAD AN 
ENCYCLOPEDIC 
MEMORY WHEN 
IT CAME TO 
SPORTS.

Bob Matthews

