Matthew was born in Taichung, Taiwan on October 13, 1941. He was the third of six children of Chin-Su and I-Mei Huang. Matthew received his undergraduate degree at Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. He immigrated to the United States in 1967 to attend graduate school at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater and received his PhD in mechanical engineering in 1972. While in Oklahoma, Matthew was introduced to Becky Tung, a graduate student of library science at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Matthew immediately noticed Becky and won her heart by driving to visit her every weekend (a 90 mile trip), even in zero degree weather without a working car heater, to take her to the grocery store and type her papers. They married on March 21, 1970 in Oklahoma.
Matthew and Becky moved to Michigan in 1973. As an auto safety engineer for Ford Motor Company, Matthew designed air bag sensors and crashed a lot of dummies. He also taught at the University of Michigan in Dearborn, earned two patents for his air bag designs, and authored Vehicle Crash Mechanics in 2002. Matthew retired in 2002, and after Becky retired in 2007, they bought a second home in Arlington, Virginia to be close to their grandchildren. Matthew enjoyed playing the harmonica and piano and fixing anything
and everything for his family. In his younger years, Matthew received his visual flight license and flew a Cessna airplane. During college he was also a competitive gymnast (parallel bars and the pommel horse) and received a number of gold and silver medals from provincial competitions. He also rode his bicycle around the entire island of Taiwan.
Matthew is survived by his:
Loving wife, Becky
Daughters, Caroline and Kelly
Sons-in-law, Andrew Lu and Andrew Crist
Grandchildren, Collin (4y), Cary (2y), Norah (1y)
Mother, I-Mei
Brothers, Steve, Cliff, Claudio
Sisters, Chia-Hui and Lishun
26 nieces and nephews
Matthew Huang
born October 13, 1941
died September 25, 2009
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