Richard N. Mathis, Jr., 87, of Fitzgerald, Georgia died Sunday, April 24, 2011, at his home.
Funeral services will be held a 2 PM Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at the Paulk Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Godfrey O’Rear officiating. Visitation will be held on Monday evening from 7 until 9 PM at the funeral home.
Mr. Mathis was born September 28, 1923 in Fitzgerald, GA to the late Richard Newton and Thelma Elizabeth Temple Mathis. A 1940 graduate of Fitzgerald High School, he held a degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia. He was a veteran of the United States Army Air Corp during World War II. A retired Letter Carrier for the U.S. Postal Service with more than 30 years of service, he was a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers. He was a former telegraph operator with Atlantic Coastline Railroad. Mr. Mathis was a member of Central United Methodist Church where he was a former teacher of the Mark Mathis Sunday School class. He was an avid bridge player and competitor in the Purple Hurricane Newspaper Contest.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Eunice Clark Mathis of Fitzgerald; Children: Rich and Dana Mathis of Fitzgerald, Thelma Mathis of Sycamore, Brenda Justice of Fitzgerald and Linda Gail Thompson of Tifton; nine grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Sherri Joann Mathis.