Obituary of Matthew MacGregor

Matthew E. MacGregor

TxDot engineer, Scoutmaster and proud family man

Matthew Edward (Matt) MacGregor, 58, a longtime TxDOT engineer who helped redefine the fabric of North Texas with the transformation and reconstruction of many of its major freeways, passed away at Faith Presbyterian Hospice in Dallas on Nov. 30, 2019 after a 23-month battle with a rare form of cancer. Originally, he was given only 4 months to live, but his optimism carried him much farther in his battle.

Funeral mass will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 9643 Ferndale Road, Dallas, TX  75238 on Saturday Dec. 7, 2019 at 10:30 A.M. with Reverend Josef Vollmer-König officiating. A celebration of Matt’s life and reception will be from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 at Ridgewood Park United Methodist Church, 6445 E. Lovers Ln., Dallas, TX 75214.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to BSA Troop 42, c/o St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 3204 Skillman St., Dallas, TX 75206. 

Scouting was one of Matt’s passions, as he enjoyed shaping and molding youth leaders through the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).  He joined East Dallas Troop 42 in 2009, as an Assistant Scoutmaster and quickly engaged in the activities of the troop.  He served as Scoutmaster from 2010 to 2018. During his time with the troop, he slept under the stars 189 nights, hiked over 400 miles, canoed over 180 miles, provided over 435 hours of service to the community, and mentored 52 scouts in earning their Eagle Scout award, along with many other scouts on their trail to Eagle. Matt was Wood Badge trained and a proud Fox.  All in, he earned a “Matt MacGregor Scoutmaster Score” of 3,934. A scout adjective describing Matt would be “benevolent.”

On campouts, Matt was also known for his award-winning cast-iron Dutch oven desserts served just before lights out. His troop also supported and provided youth leadership to council and district events, including the University Meadows Veterans Day Parade, Lakewood Independence Day Parade, Scouting for Food, Circle Ten Scouting Experience (CTX), District Camporees and Webelos Woods.  Matt established a relationship with the Friends of Tietze Park and implemented Troop 42’s responsibility for following flag flying etiquette at the park and performing the associated flag ceremonies.

Matt took great pride in watching young men gain self-confidence and mature as leaders. At Eagle Scout Courts of Honor, Matt enjoyed presenting the Eagle Scout award and sharing his perspectives from his time mentoring the scout.  During his time of reflection, he would share two things – a Matt MacGregor Scout Score and a scout adjective.  The pinnacle of Matt’s time in scouting was watching his son, Trevlan, receive his Eagle Scout award.

Matt was born in Jeffersonville, IN to James and Barbara MacGregor on July 15, 1961. He went to high school at Brebeuf Jesuit High School and graduated in 1980. He earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering in 1984 from Purdue University. Shortly after graduation, Matt joined the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). He made his mark helping design the Central Expressway project from 1986 to 1993. He served as the project LBJ project manager from 1993 to 2005. He then moved to the Dallas District’s CDA/Tollway office as director from 2005 to 2009. His TxDOT career also featured stints on other major projects until he retired in 2012.

One of Matt’s early endeavors improved the lives of every Dallasite – the North Central Expressway (NCE)/US 75 project in the 1990s. Matt designed the most complex segments of US 75 north of downtown to Mockingbird Lane. These projects had significant challenges – replacing every square inch of the highway, lowering it 30 feet, keeping 180,000 cars per day moving, and developing and installing the innovative cantilevered frontage roads. Matt’s leadership showed he was ahead of his time. This was the first project to incorporate heavy public involvement and context-sensitive aesthetics and landscaping. Intelligent Transportation System features were deployed, including traffic volume sensors, closed-circuit video, and communication linkages to a central operations center.

Matt then worked on the LBJ Freeway/I-635 corridor. He may be best known as the godfather of the LBJ Freeway projects, which spanned 25 miles from I-35E to US 80 in Mesquite. He dedicated almost half his career to the LBJ project. The project initially faced tremendous opposition. Matt helped create a citizens advisory committee and developed a project that was no higher and no wider, gaining widespread acclaim and acceptance. He also spearheaded the managed lane concept that continues to gain national attention.

Matt’s impact stands tall, like the towers of the High Five he helped design. Many major cities throughout the US have noticed what is happening in Dallas, TX – all generated from the innovative mind and leadership of Matt. Matt’s mind also led him to publish a story he conceived while in high school. In 2015, Matt and illustrator friend Don Huff published “I Am a Sidewalk.” The book provides lessons about life journeys that seem even more appropriate today.

Matt is survived by his beloved wife of 34 years, May and their three sons - Collin, Dillon, and Trevlan; his parents - James and Barbara; his siblings and their respective spouses and children - Mike and Kathy with their daughters, Sarah and Rebekah, and son, Luke;  Sue and Jay Rosenberg  with their sons, Ben and Jack; and Bob and Michelle with their sons, Wyatt and Logan.  He is also survived by his in-laws – Greg and Daisy Quizon; Arlene Joy and Scott Christiansen; Paul and Karina Pinella and their children, Anna and Thomas; and Oscar and Constance Quizon and their daughter, Madeleine; and other family members who loved him very much.