William "Bill" Mathis

VINCENT - William James (Bill) Mathis, 57, of Vincent, Iowa, formerly of Mt. Pleasant, died Dec. 24, 2008 while visiting family in Virginia.

Graveside services will be held 1:30 P.M., Saturday, April 18th at Concord Township Cemetery in Garner.

There will be no visitation. Cataldo Funeral Home in Garner is in charge of arrangements.

William James (Bill) Mathis was born in Vermillion, S.D. on August 21, 1951, the son of the late Paul C. and L. Edna (Viken) Mathis. He graduated from Central Michigan University with a B.S. degree in chemistry and biology, where he was a proud member of the Marching Chips. William went on to receive a M.S. degree in chemistry from DePaul University and an MBA degree from the University of Iowa. After working as a chemist for many years in the automotive coatings industry, he decided to pass along his love of learning to the younger generation by becoming a teacher. He went back to college and received his teaching certificate.

William had many interests, ranging from studying history and politics to scuba diving. He also enjoyed woodworking and made many beautiful pieces of furniture for his family. He was a member of First Methodist Church of Ft. Dodge, Iowa.

William is survived by his sister, Karen Travis, and her husband, Carroll, of Cocoa, Fl.; his brother, Paul, and his wife, Virginia, of Annandale, Va.; his brother, John, and his wife, Judy, of Ormond Beach, Fl.; and nieces and nephews: Carson Fischer, Nell Travis Campbell, Robert Travis, Veronika Travis, Amy Mathis, Paul MathisIV, and Nicholas Mathis.