Hello, we are asking for any family and friends that would like to help us offset the cost of the funeral expenses totaling over $10,000. We truly appreciate your love and support. If you would like to leave any special memories of Matina please add them to her Facebook page.
Matina Isla Snow
January 5, 1940 - August 26, 2021
Matina Isla Matthews was born in Tauranga, New Zealand on January 5th, 1940 to Clifferd and Rose Matthews. The fourth of 13 children, she grew up helping with all of her younger siblings and working long hours assisting with the family farm, which included raising crops, orchards, and animals.
In her school years, she excelled in athletics, winning multiple trophies for her achievements. Taken from her graduation letter dated November 1959: Matina has always been a keen basketball player and in 1955 played for her House. Since 1956 she has played in College teams, the B in 1956 and the A in 57, 58, 59. She was Senior Tennis Champion in 1958. This year (1959) she is captain of Mansfield House Form Captain and a School Prefect. She has been a helpful Prefect and an excellent House Captain. Matina has always been a most conscientious worker. She has a pleasant cheerful personality and has shown good school spirit.
After her school years, she studied and became a registered nurse at Tauranga Public Hospital in New Zealand. She continued nursing for many years in New Zealand.
In 1964 Matina Isla Matthews married her husband Brian Baillie Snow who had four children: Pamela, Selwyn, Warren, and Hilda from a previous marriage. Matina and Brian have three sons: Talbot, Bradley, and Wendell. Their family emigrated to the United States in 1980 where they made Las Vegas their permanent home. Brian continued in sales and Matina worked as a registered nurse at Sunrise Hospital for almost 20 years.
She was always generous and kind to everyone she met. Matina loved serving with the Boy Scouting program, whether in New Zealand or in the United States. Her love of the Scouting program began as she helped her father with Scouts in New Zealand and continued as Talbot, Bradley, and Wendell entered Cub Scouting. She continued to actively support Scouting as her grandsons entered the programs, helping with many Eagle projects and beyond. She was a dedicated Cub Scout Leader for over 50 years and earned her Woodbadge and was part of the Owl Patrol. She was also awarded the Influential Women in Scouting Award from the Las Vegas Area Council and received several other scout leader awards during her 50 years.
She has been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints all her life. She loved the gospel and rarely missed attending Church meetings. She was involved with Primary, Boy Scouts, and Relief Society (as Relief Society President). In addition to many other callings she delighted in serving and helping others, especially her immediate and extended family members.
Matina would lovingly visit “older people” long into her own “older” years. She enjoyed ministering to her fellow sisters, on a consistent, monthly basis.
She was well known for her hard work, kindness, endless generosity, and playful sense of humor, which was another way she demonstrated love. She dedicated her whole life to her family, especially her children and grandchildren, always looking for ways to help them, and to be with them!
She was the loving mother of seven children, fourteen grandchildren, and seventeen great-grandchildren. She set a wonderful example for all of them of how to be kind and serve others.
We will miss Matina so much, but we are grateful to know that she is now joined with her husband Brian on the other side.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Clifferd Matthews and Ripine Rose Rahiri, and her siblings Luella Te Auetu Matthews, Bonnie Elline Matthews, Benjamin Rangininia Matthews, Clifford Midgley Matthews, William Douglas Matthews, Hal Dobson Matthews, Lu Hosanna Rose Matthews, Edwin Dan Gilbert Matthews, Wanda Moana Matthews, and Clara Violette Matthews.
She is survived by her step-children, Pamela (Sylvo) Zak, Warren Snow (Kim Reed), Hilda Gamette, and her own children, Talbot Snow, Bradley (Tina) Snow, & Wendell (Terreah) Snow; and her sisters Gail Hoana Matthews and Memorie Woana Matthews. She is also survived by her grandchildren Jackie, Mandy, Jana, Robyn, Tayla, Blake, Raven, Beauen, Darian, Andrew, Evyt, Chaz, Sierra, & McKinley; and by 16 of her 17 great-grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held Thursday, September 9th, at the LDS Meetinghouse at 1725 Palora Ave. The viewing will begin at 9 am followed by the funeral at 10 am. She will be interred at Eden Vale Memorial Park is located at 1216 N Las Vegas Blvd. Her graveside dedication will be held at 12 pm.
Lastly, here is the link for the service on YouTube that will be live on Thursday at 10 am PST. https://youtu.be/5DnIgf6_DIc