ROBERT D. MATTHEWS Jr.
Obituary | Condolences
ROBERT D. MATTHEWS Jr. Obituary
Matthews, Robert D. Jr. Of Boston, Vice Chairman of Commercial Banking and a
member of the Citizens Financial Group board of directors, died unexpectedly on
December 19. He was 51. Mr. Matthews was devoted to Citizens' success and
instrumental in leading the Commercial Banking division into new markets, new
specialties and, in September 2014, a new era as a publicly traded company. He
firmly believed in the Citizens' credo that pledged dedication to one's
colleagues, clients, and community and found the interactions with the people he
worked with and with his customers to be one of the most important aspects of
his career. "Our entire Citizens Financial Group family of colleagues mourns
this tragic loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Catherine, Robert's
wife, and his family," said Citizens Financial Group Chairman and CEO Bruce Van
Saun. Mr. Matthews joined Citizens in 2007 from Citigroup, where he had been
Executive Vice President and Head of U.S. Commercial and Middle Market Banking.
Previously, he worked internationally, holding a number of senior leadership
positions in Asia and Latin America. Everything that Mr. Matthews did in his
personal and professional life was inspired by his extraordinary intellectual
curiosity and enthusiasm for life. He lived his life with the purposeful
intention to give back to his community and, above all, to always choose
kindness when determining his actions. A lover of music and the arts, Mr.
Matthews was the driving force behind the creation of Boston's first free summer
performing-arts festival, Boston Summer Arts Week, presented in collaboration
with the Boston Globe and WGBH. Over the past three years, nearly 90,000
visitors experienced the best of the arts on historic Copley Plaza thanks to his
leadership. As a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's board of overseers,
Mr. Matthews was a major supporter of the BSO's work. This year, he co-chaired
the BSO's annual summer fundraiser, Presidents at Pops, which raised more than
$850,000 to support the orchestra's education and community engagement programs.
Mr. Matthews loved American history and considered civic engagement to be an
honor. He served as vice chairman of the boards of directors of the Paul Revere
Memorial Association and the National Constitution Center, and was a supporter
of the Bostonian Society. He was on the board of directors of Jobs for
Massachusetts and the Private Export Funding Corporation. With his wife,
Catherine, he was passionately supportive of Community Servings and its mission
of feeding the critically ill in Massachusetts. His family found a spiritual
home in Boston's Old North Church and enthusiastically encouraged the Old North
Foundation's work to educate the public about its place in America's story.
Above all, he gave willingly and happily of material and emotional resources to
anyone in need. He loved to travel and to plan trips for his family and recently
visited Africa, a trip he had dreamed of since he was a little boy. More than
anything, Mr. Matthews loved his family and recognized the importance of
spending time with them and of creating memories that will now sustain them. He
was an extraordinary man, loving husband and wonderful, devoted father. His
sense of humor was quick, irreverent and unquenchable. He delighted in
conversation with people from all walks of life. Mr. Matthews was born in West
Virginia, raised in Western Pennsylvania and cherished the values and ethic of
hard work, discipline and hope that family instilled in him. Mr. Matthews
received his bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University, with an
emphasis on labor relations and bargaining behavior. He is survived by his wife,
Catherine, and their two daughters, Nicole and Campbell. He is also survived by
his mother, Karen Anderson, his brother, Steven Matthews, and his family,
brother John Matthews and John's wife, Diana, and their family, his
mother-in-law, Catherine Contey, brother-in-law John Contey, sister- and
brother-in-law Alexandra and Greg Schutz and nephew Cole LaBruzzo. He is also
survived by his friends and colleagues, too numerous to mention, who share his
openhearted nature and love of laughter. A wake will be held on Sunday, December
21 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Boston Harborside Home of J.S. Waterman & Sons-Waring-Langone,
580 Commercial Street, Boston. Funeral services will be on Monday at 10 a.m. at
Old North Church, 193 Salem Street, Boston. In lieu of flowers, his family
requests donations be made in his honor to the following organizations:
Community Servings, 18 Marbury Terrace, Jamaica Plain, MA; the Boston Symphony
Orchestra, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA; Paul Revere Memorial
Association, 19 North Square, Boston, MA; or the Old North Foundation, 193 Salem
Street, Boston, MA.
Published in The Boston Globe on Dec. 21, 2014
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Robert Matthews Obituary
In Memory of
Robert D. Matthews Jr.
May 22, 1963 - December 19, 2014
Obituary
Robert D. Matthews Jr. of Boston, Vice Chairman of Commercial Banking and a
member of the Citizens Finan- cial Group board of directors, died unexpectedly
on Decem- ber 19. He was 51. Mr. Mat- thews was devoted to Citizens' success and
instrumental in leading the Commercial Bank- ing division into new markets, new
specialties and, in Sep- tember 2014, a new era as a publicly traded company. He
firmly believed in the Citizens' credo that pledged dedication to one's
colleagues, clients, and community and found the in- teractions with the people
he worked with and with his cus- tomers to be one of the most important aspects
of his career. "Our entire Citizens Financial Group family of colleagues mourns
this tragic loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Catherine, Robert's
wife, and his family," said Citizens Financial Group Chairman and CEO Bruce Van
Saun. Mr. Mat- thews joined Citizens in 2007 from Citigroup, where he had been
Executive Vice President and Head of U.S. Commercial and Middle Market Banking.
Previously, he worked inter- nationally, holding a number of senior leadership
positions in Asia and Latin America. Ev- erything that Mr. Matthews did in his
personal and profes- sional life was inspired by his extraordinary intellectual
curi- osity and enthusiasm for life. He lived his life with the pur- poseful
intention to give back to his community and, above all, to always choose
kindness when determining his actions. A lover of music and the arts, Mr.
Matthews was the driving force behind the creation of Boston's first free summer
per- forming-arts festival, Boston Summer Arts Week, presented in collaboration
with the Bos- ton Globe and WGBH. Over the past three years, nearly 90,000
visitors experienced the best of the arts on historic Copley Plaza thanks to his
leadership. As a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's board of overseers,
Mr. Matthews was a major supporter of the BSO's work. This year, he co-chaired
the BSO's annual summer fund- raiser, Presidents at Pops, which raised more than
$850,000 to support the orchestra's educa- tion and community engage- ment
programs. Mr. Matthews loved American history and considered civic engagement to
be an honor. He served as vice chairman of the boards of directors of the Paul
Revere Memorial Association and the National Constitution Center, and was a
supporter of the Bostonian Society. He was on the board of directors of Jobs for
Massachusetts and the Pri- vate Export Funding Corpora- tion. With his wife,
Catherine, he was passionately supportive of Community Servings and its mission
of feeding the critically ill in Massachusetts. His family found a spiritual
home in Bos- ton's Old North Church and en- thusiastically encouraged the Old
North Foundation's work to educate the public about its place in America's
story. Above all, he gave willingly and hap- pily of material and emotional
resources to anyone in need. He loved to travel and to plan trips for his family
and recent- ly visited Africa, a trip he had dreamed of since he was a little
boy. More than anything, Mr. Matthews loved his family and recognized the
importance of spending time with them and of creating memories that will now
sustain them. He was an extraordinary man, loving hus- band and wonderful,
devoted father. His sense of humor was quick, irreverent and un- quenchable. He
delighted in conversation with people from all walks of life. Mr. Matthews was
born in West Virginia, raised in Western Pennsylvania and cherished the values
and ethic of hard work, discipline and hope that family instilled in him. Mr.
Matthews received his bachelor's degree in eco- nomics from Harvard Univer- sity,
with an emphasis on la- bor relations and bargaining behavior. He is survived by
his wife, Catherine, and their two daughters, Nicole and Camp- bell. He is also
survived by his mother, Karen Anderson, his brother, Steven Matthews, and his
family, brother John Mat- thews and John's wife, Diana, and their family, his
mother-in- law, Catherine Contey, brother- in-law John Contey, sister- and
brother-in-law Alexandra and Greg Schutz and nephew Cole LaBruzzo. He is also
survived by his friends and colleagues, too numerous to mention, who share his
openhearted nature and love of laughter. A wake will be held on Sunday, Decem-
ber 21 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Boston Harborside Home of J.S. Waterman &
Sons-War- ing-Langone, 580 Commercial Street, Boston. Funeral services will be
on Monday at 10 a.m. at Old North Church, 193 Salem Street, Boston. Parking for
Old North Church is available at the Government Center Parking Garage located at
50 New Sudbury Street and Fitz Inn-Auto Park located at the corner of Commercial
Street and Hull Street. In lieu of flow- ers, his family requests dona- tions be
made in his honor to the following organizations: Community Servings, 18 Mar-
bury Terrace, Jamaica Plain, MA; the Boston Symphony Or- chestra, 301
Massachusetts Av- enue, Boston, MA; Paul Revere Memorial Association, 19 North
Square, Boston, MA; or the Old North Foundation, 193 Salem Street, Boston, MA.
Guest Book
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"Catherine: I just heard about Roberts passing. You may remember me from the
time he led Citi in the Dominican Republic. I have really fond memories of
him..."
Boston Harborside Home of JS Waterman & Son-Waring-Langone
Courtney Fitzgibbons, Manager
A Service Family Affiliate of AFFS and Service Corporation International, 206
Winter Street, Fall River, MA 02720. (508) 676-2454.
Lc:#4643
http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Robert-Matthews&lc=4643&pid=173541228&mid=6244738
12/19/2014
Citizens Financial Group Commercial Banking Vice Chairman Robert Matthews
Passes Away
PROVIDENCE, RI -- Bruce Van Saun
, Chairman and CEO of Citizens Financial Group (NYSE: CFG), issued the following
statement this morning:
“It is with deep sadness that I announce that Robert Matthews, Vice Chairman of
Commercial Banking and a member of the Citizens Financial Group Board of
Directors, died unexpectedly overnight of an apparent heart attack at his home.
He was 51.
“Our entire Citizens Financial Group family of colleagues mourns this tragic
loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Catherine, Robert’s wife, and his
family. We share their grief and extend to them our deepest sympathies.”
“Robert was a great guy and an outstanding leader with incredible energy and a
passion to succeed. He made an indelible mark on our company – the commercial
bank that we have built under his leadership is a testament to Robert’s passion
for serving customers and for building an organization that can extend that
passion to each of the companies we serve.”
“One of Robert’s legacies is that he surrounded himself with great people. We
have selected two of Robert's key team members, Steve Woods, currently head of
Corporate Banking, and Bob Rubino, currently head of Corporate Finance and
Capital Markets, to be interim co-heads of Commercial Banking. I have confidence
that they will continue the same great client focus and service that Robert
instilled in the organization."
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG) is one of the nation’s oldest and
largest financial institutions, with $131.3 billion in assets as of September
30, 2014. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company offers a broad
range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals,
small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions.
Consumer Banking helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online
banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately
3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 11
states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also
provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking
services in selective markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers
corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale
banking products and services including lending anddeposits, capital markets,
treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset
finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates via subsidiaries
Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania.
Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services
can be found at www.citizensbank.com.
© Copyright 2015 Citizens Financial Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Citizens
Bank is a brand name of Citizens Bank, N.A. (NMLS ID# 433960) and Citizens Bank
of Pennsylvania (NMLS ID# 522615).
Securities and Insurance Products are: • NOT FDIC INSURED • NOT BANK GUARANTEED
• MAY LOSE VALUE • NOT A DEPOSIT • NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
Delivered by Investis - link to website (opens in a new window)
http://investor.citizensbank.com/about-us/newsroom/latest-news/2014/2014-12-19.aspx
Citizens Financial Group Commercial Banking Vice Chairman Robert Matthews
Passes Away
Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:10am EST
* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.
Citizens Financial Group Commercial Banking Vice Chairman Robert Matthews Passes
Away
Bruce Van Saun, Chairman and CEO of Citizens Financial Group (NYSE: CFG), issued
the following statement this morning:
“It is with deep sadness that I announce that Robert Matthews, Vice Chairman of
Commercial Banking and a member of the Citizens Financial Group Board of
Directors, died unexpectedly overnight of an apparent heart attack at his home.
He was 51.
“Our entire Citizens Financial Group family of colleagues mourns this tragic
loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Catherine, Robert’s wife, and his
family. We share their grief and extend to them our deepest sympathies.”
“Robert was a great guy and an outstanding leader with incredible energy and a
passion to succeed. He made an indelible mark on our company – the commercial
bank that we have built under his leadership is a testament to Robert’s passion
for serving customers and for building an organization that can extend that
passion to each of the companies we serve.”
“One of Robert’s legacies is that he surrounded himself with great people. We
have selected two of Robert's key team members, Steve Woods, currently head of
Corporate Banking, and Bob Rubino, currently head of Corporate Finance and
Capital Markets, to be interim co-heads of Commercial Banking. I have confidence
that they will continue the same great client focus and service that Robert
instilled in the organization."
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG) is one of the nation’s oldest and
largest financial institutions, with $131.3 billion in assets as of September
30, 2014. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company offers a broad
range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals,
small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions.
Consumer Banking helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online
banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately
3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 11
states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also
provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking
services in selective markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers
corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale
banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets,
treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset
finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates via subsidiaries
Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania.
Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services
can be found at www.citizensbank.com.
Citizens Financial Group
Investor Relations:
Ellen A. Taylor, 203-897-4240
Ellen.Taylor@citizensbank.com
or
Media Relations:
Jim Hughes, 781-751-5404
Jim.Hughes@citizensbank.com
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Latest News
12/19/2014
Citizens Financial Group Commercial Banking Vice Chairman Robert Matthews Passes
Away
PROVIDENCE, RI -- Bruce Van Saun,
Chairman and CEO of Citizens Financial Group (NYSE: CFG), issued the following
statement this morning:
“It is with deep sadness that I announce that Robert Matthews, Vice Chairman of
Commercial Banking and a member of the Citizens Financial Group Board of
Directors, died unexpectedly overnight of an apparent heart attack at his home.
He was 51.
“Our entire Citizens Financial Group family of colleagues mourns this tragic
loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with Catherine, Robert’s wife, and his
family. We share their grief and extend to them our deepest sympathies.”
“Robert was a great guy and an outstanding leader with incredible energy and a
passion to succeed. He made an indelible mark on our company – the commercial
bank that we have built under his leadership is a testament to Robert’s passion
for serving customers and for building an organization that can extend that
passion to each of the companies we serve.”
“One of Robert’s legacies is that he surrounded himself with great people. We
have selected two of Robert's key team members, Steve Woods, currently head of
Corporate Banking, and Bob Rubino, currently head of Corporate Finance and
Capital Markets, to be interim co-heads of Commercial Banking. I have confidence
that they will continue the same great client focus and service that Robert
instilled in the organization."
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CFG) is one of the nation’s oldest and
largest financial institutions, with $131.3 billion in assets as of September
30, 2014. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company offers a broad
range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals,
small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions.
Consumer Banking helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online
banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately
3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank and Charter One branches in 11
states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also
provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking
services in selective markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers
corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale
banking products and services including lending anddeposits, capital markets,
treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset
finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates via subsidiaries
Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania.
Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services
can be found at www.citizensbank.com.
http://investor.citizensbank.com/about-us/newsroom/latest-news/2014/2014-12-19.aspx