Obituary
Dr. Matthew Insuok Sah of Sandy, Oregon, passed away peacefully at his home on August 1, 2026. He was born February 8, 1936, near Seoul, Korea. His childhood was shaped by Japan’s occupation of Korea, World War II and the Korean War. After serving in the South Korean Army, he emigrated to the United States in 1959 to study at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. At that time, he spoke little English. He worked many jobs including in the campus cafeteria, at John Deere and as a farm day-laborer during the summer. He was fond of saying: “If anyone can do it, you can do it!” Through hard work and much studying he lived this motto out in his own life by completing his undergraduate studies, followed by medical school in Des Moines.
Matthew met Barbara Venator, a registered nurse, while attending Des Moines First United Methodist Church. Unable to afford an engagement ring, he proposed by presenting her with his most valuable possession: his fishing pole. They were married in 1969 and moved to Portland, Oregon, where he completed his medical training at Eastmoreland General Hospital. He was offered a coveted Surgical Residency position in Ohio, but Matthew and Barbara had fallen in love with Oregon, and Matthew, realizing how much he would miss family medicine, began 38 years of solo practice in the small town of Sandy, which at the time had one stop light and a population of 1,544.
Matthew was the quintessential small town doctor - he did a little bit of everything. His practice included x-ray and casting, ob-gyn, minor surgeries, preventative medicine and Osteopathic manual therapy. At Eastmoreland and other hospitals, he monitored his patients and often assisted on major surgeries. Friday nights, he could be found on the sideline of high school football games, and when his pager went off in the middle of the night, he would head out, no matter the weather, with his well-worn black bag to make house calls. This was before the days of cell phones or GPS, so he often had quite an adventure before even reaching the patient!
When not working, Matthew enjoyed gardening, playing soccer, reading the newspaper, hiking with family on Mt. Hood, and playing Janggi (a sort of Asian chess). He looked forward to phone calls and visits with his family and friends in South Korea.
He is preceded in death by his father Seo Jung Soo, mother Yu Deok Soon, eldest brother Seo Young Seok, and older brother Seo O Seok. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Barbara; his children, Jennifer Loeung (Samarith), Amy Cody (Jason), and Mark Sah (Bethany); his nine grandchildren; and his loyal German Shepherd, Maggie.
Matthew will be interred at Fir Hill Cemetery in Sandy, Oregon at a private graveside service. A celebration of Matthew's life will take place at a future date at the Community Church of Sandy. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders or Mt. Hood Hospice. Condolences may be sent to the family at sandyfuneralhome.com.