On Saturday, April 22, 2017, at the age of 70, Matthew Thomas Ivanis, a retired semi-conductor engineer and devoted husband of 47 years, passed away in the loving arms of his dedicated wife, Christine.
Born in Ciscero, Illinois to Matthew Jacob and Olga (Sokowicz) Ivanis, he was their only child. Matthew (Matt) and his parents relocated to Tucson AZ where he grew up from the age of 5. The Tucson desert was his backyard playground as a child. He was a four-time high school letterman in Tucson, AZ in football and track. He attended the University of Arizona and the University of Texas in Dallas where he met and later married Christine Ree Smith on June 14, 1969.
Matthew enjoyed his work in the semi-conductor industry. He was dedicated to the companies he worked for and was a mentor to many QA and R&D technicians. He was a patient mentor to those that worked for and with him through the years. He loved to share his many stories and humorous experiences about the beginnings of the industry and meeting and working with some of those people who helped shape it in the earlier days.
Matthew began working in the Semi-Conductor industry in 1968 in Dallas with Texas instruments where he remained for ten years. He then moved his family to Salt Lake City, UT where he worked for thirteen years before returning to Texas. His career encompassed work at Texas Instruments, National Semi-Conductor, Micron, Sematech and Tokyo Electron. He retired from the industry in 2001. Getting bored after a few years he returned to the work, joining Walmart in South Austin and Buda, again in electronics. Many of his Walmart customers had no idea of the talent behind his smiling face, but always asked for him the next time they needed something in electronics.
In addition, Matthew’s life was richly blessed by those who loved him, including his wife Christine Ree Smith Ivanis, his daughter Deborah Jean Ivanis-Fulkerson of Boise, ID and her husband Phil Gerhardson.
Please send your loving memories, a fond photograph, or condolence to Matthew’s family at www.Harrellfuneralhomes.com.
Funeral assistance provided by Harrell Funeral Home 1715 Kirby Lane, Kyle, TX 78640 (512) 268-8200
