Annabelle Matusoff, 73, of Springfield Township,
passed away peacefully at home on Sept. 24, surrounded in love by
her family.
Annabelle was born in Mt. Olivet, KY, and raised primarily in Dayton
by her grandparents, Christine and Garnet Bell. She had fond memories
of returning to Mt. Olivet on the weekends by train, as was the
custom for Appalachian families of the area. She attended primary
school at St. Mary’s in Dayton, where she was heavily influenced
and nurtured by the Sisters of the Precious Blood. She attended
Julienne High School and graduated from St. Joseph’s in 1960.
Annabelle received her bachelor’s degree from Antioch University
in 1990 and her master’s from the University of Dayton in 1994.
She was a social worker in private practice for many years, then
directed an inner-city women’s program in Charleston, SC, and
an addictions treatment program for the Government of Guam. In recent
years, she was an administrator for the Volunteers of America of
Greater Ohio, where she cherished her work in “serving those
least served” by developing programming for at-risk children,
the developmentally disabled, homeless veterans, and people newly
released from prison, among other vulnerable populations. She was
ordained by the VOA to a ministry of service in 2013.
Above all, Annabelle was completely devoted to her family and children,
who she loved with her whole heart.
Annabelle is survived by her spouse, Dr. Kelly K. Knox of Springfield
Township; her children Gregory Matusoff of Bay St. Louis, MS, David
Matusoff of Newport, and Amy Powell (Sean) of Mt. Healthy; her grandchildren
Emma Matusoff, Asher Matusoff, and Murphy Powell; her sisters Connie
Runkel of Beavercreek and Rita Kirchner of Tampa, FL; and many nieces
and nephews.
A memorial service and reception is planned for 6 p.m. on Sunday,
Sept. 27, at the Church of Our Savior, 65 E. Hollister St. Interment
will be at a later date at the Dayton National Cemetery. The family
requests that memorial donations be made to the Volunteers of America
of Greater Ohio, Hospice of Cincinnati, or the charity of the giver’s
choice.
