Posted: Friday, September 5, 2014 7:00 am

GLEN ARBOR — Matthew Amos Houghton Jr., D.O., 72, of Glen Arbor, passed away peacefully at Munson Medical Center Hospice House early Sunday morning, Aug. 31, 2014, after a determined battle with cancer. His beloved wife, Barbara Ann “Barbie” was by his side. Matthew was born on May 17, 1942, at Jennings Hospital in Detroit, to the late Matthew A. Houghton Sr., D.O., and Jane Elizabeth Hunter Houghton.

He completed his bachelor’s degree in classical music at Olivet College and pursued his medical degree from A.T. Still College of Osteopathy and Surgery in Kirksville, Missouri, graduating in 1969.  Throughout Matthew’s childhood the Houghton family spent summers at Peppler’s Birchwood on Big Glen Lake. During those summers he lived on the docks of Glen Craft Marina and was mentored by Phil Krull. In October 1970, his love of the Leelanau Peninsula cinched his decision to accept a position as the director of medical education and full time emergency room physician at the Traverse City Osteopathic Hospital. He established the Empire Clinic with the Detwiler Drugstore in Empire on June 12, 1971, and married the former Barbara Ann Beckett, of Traverse City, Oct. 1, 1971. Matthew, Barbara and German Shepherds soon landed at Hocton Meade, their beloved Miller Hill home.

Dr. Houghton celebrated the 40th anniversary of his country family/sports medicine/emergency practice in 2011. Many of his patients have known no other doctor in their lives. The medical trio of Doc Houghton, office manager Marion Harriger and receptionist/billings manager Vicki Finstad has been a constant in their lives. For both local residents and area visitors, a visit to Doc’s office could be counted on to include comprehensive medical services at all hours and so much more. Patients traveled long distances to hobble in, receive an osteopathic manipulative treatment from Doc and leave the office erect and smiling. Often, perfectly healthy patients stopped by to chat or drop off fresh corn. Recently, a bag of beef jerky was left on the office door knob.

Doc Houghton was instinctively positive and encouraging. He listened. Most likely, the extra time he spent with each of his patients was not cost efficient. That was not how he measured his life. A lifelong patient recently whispered into his ear, “Doc, thank you for believing in me when no one else did.”  Dr. Houghton did not limit his physician’s duties to his private medical practice. He led the county emergency training drills, bringing realism to disaster exercises that could become life savers. He dragged himself out of bed in the middle of many nights to perform his duties as the Leelanau County (41 years), Benzie County (12 years) and Grand Traverse County (14 years) chief medical examiner. His years of expertise created a high level of professionalism during county sheriff office investigations into unnatural and unexplained deaths. On the witness stand he provided a steady voice grounded by medical science.

“Gentlemen (Ladies), let’s all be careful out there.” Generations of Glen Lake student athletes are familiar with those words spoken by ‘Doc Houghton.’ He was a fixture on basketball court (20 years) and football field sidelines (43 years). After Title IX was enacted, Matthew was the proud team physician of the 1978 Lady Lakers who won the Girls State Basketball Championship. The Michigan Legislature paid tribute to Matthew in 1979 for initiating the “Glen Lake Plan” which assigned specific responsibilities to each member of a coaching staff in the event of injury to an athlete. The Plan was published to national acclaim in the American School Board Journal and has been adopted by high schools throughout the nation.

A gifted teacher like his father, Matthew promoted lifelong staff development, senior citizen health education and medical/safety learning opportunities for high school students. Patients left Matthew’s office clear on how to take their meds. He developed water rescue training for the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department and advanced life support training for the Leelanau County EMT-S. As an associate clinical professor of the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Wayne State University College of Medicine, hundreds of medical interns and residents rotated through Dr. Houghton’s Empire and Glen Arbor Medical Arts offices, leaving with enhanced understanding of the diverse demands of country practice and the power of patient-physician connections.

Dr. Houghton gave away his time - and loved every minute of it. He offered his expertise and leadership skills as the medical director of the Michigan Special Olympics (1986-2008), the medical director of the North American Vasalopett and U.S. Ski Association (1980-2001) and director of the Northwest Michigan Sports Medicine Clinic (1978-2013), where he provided ongoing technical assistance to 10 northern Michigan high schools. He was a frequently called upon consultant to organizations as varied as the National Transportation Safety Board, the Union Internationale Motonautique, the Central Military Command of the United Arab Emirates, the USAF Capsule Recovery Team (Cape Canaveral, Florida), the Navy Seals and the Federation of Italian Motorboating.

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