Winston Mathis

Winston Murray Mathis age 89 of Arkadelphia, AR passed away January 20, 2011 at Hospice Home Care on Bowman Road in Little Rock. He was born the oldest of 8 children to Earl C. and Vesta Herrin Mathis Feb. 21, 1921 in Rusk County TX. At the age of 15 years Mr. Mathis and his family moved to Trinity Community near Okolona, AR where they lived as cattle farmers. He served in the U.S. Navy and is a veteran of World War II. After the war he returned to Clark County, where he rejoined his family and married his wife of 63 years, Elizabeth Pauline Glanton Mathis. Mr. and Mrs. Mathis were blessed with 4 children while living on a family farm in Okolona, AR. In 1964 they moved their family into a house built by Mr. Mathis in Arkadelphia, AR. He continued his passion for cattle and farming until selling the farm in 2008. He was an active member of St. Andrew Methodist Church for 46 years where he served on numerous church committees and Chairman of the church board. He retired from Reynolds Aluminum after 30 years of loyal employment, where he missed only 3 days of work. Uncle Winston is best described in the words of one of his beloved nieces, 'I was once asked what it meant to live a loving, generous life and I simply answered "to live the way my Uncle Winston does.'"

He was preceded in death by his parents Earl and Vesta Mathis, one brother, Travis Mathis, 4 sisters, Joyce Mathis, Dorothy Murphy, June Wrinkle, and Diane Blanton.

He is survived by his wife Pauline Mathis, one son, Darrell Mathis (Julie) of Little Rock, and daughters, Pat Cook (Curtis), Jan Calicott of Little Rock, and Becky Tackett (Gary) of Searcy, one brother, Randall Mathis of Arkadelphia, and one sister Gayle Owen of Frisco, TX. He was a loving grandfather to 9 grandchildren, Wendy Cook Luzietti, Jeffrey Cook, Amy Tackett Wood, Terry Tackett, Russell Mathis, Kerry Mathis Boulware, Jason Calicott, Sara Calicott, and Katie Calicott, 11 great-grandchildren, and uncle to numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Sunday, January 23, 2011, at Ruggles-Wilcox Funeral Home, 517 Clay St, Arkadelphia, AR. Burial will follow at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday, January 22, 2011.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Arkansas, 10411 W. Markham Ste 130, Little Rock, AR 72205 or Hospice Home Care Foundation, 2200 S. Bowman Rd, Little Rock, AR 72211 or St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 2301 Crawford St., Arkadelphia, AR 71923.