Bill Matyear Jr. was born on October 28th, 1958, to Sara Rodriguez and William Matyear, and he was their pride and joy. Bill was an only child but a brother to many of his cousins and friends, including: Ernesto Rodriguez, Melissa Jacques, Cindy Jacques, Evangelina Sanchez, Lillian Garcia, David Garcia, Marie Camacho, Veronica Camacho, Martin Matyear, Jimmy Matyear, Victor Torres, Mike Aboud, Tony Gutierrez, Carlos Aranda, Richard Ferguson, Oscar Ayala, Mando Duran, Richard Spencer, Hector Fierro, and others. Bill was the life of the party and always knew how to have a great time. Laughter followed him wherever he went.
Bill fell in love with football early on and got to play throughout his school years, including at Austin High School, where he was on the team with many of his closest friends. Bill carried his love for football as a lifelong Michigan fan and was inspired by Bo Schembechler’s “The Team'' speech. He got to see the Wolverines win another National Championship in 2024. As he taught his kids to say from a young age – Let’s Go Blue!
Bill followed in his father’s footsteps and together they ran Matyear Construction for many years. He worked his way up to Superintendent and then Vice President after learning all the skills of the trade from a young age. He was a hardworking, kind, and fair manager. He wouldn’t ask you to do something if he couldn’t do it himself, and his crew loved working with him.
At the age of 25, he married Diana Bohnaker, whom he was with for 12 years. They had their first child when he was 30 and their second daughter at 32. He loved being a Dad more than anything. He took great pride in being a good father and doing everything possible to make his daughters’ childhoods fun and memorable. Friends and cousins were always welcome in his home, as his parents had done the same for him. He was a good, honorable man and a devout Catholic. He wholeheartedly believed in God and passed many valuable lessons on to his daughters.
Bill met Lisa Ramirez in 1999, and they were inseparable for 25 years–having fun, going on trips, and enjoying life to the fullest. She made him a happy man and was by his side to the very end. His life would not have been the same without her.
As a man of many interests, he ran marathons, cooked delicious meals, shot with proficiency at the gun range, read Steinbeck novels and many other books, was a Halo master and avid gamer, crafted handmade holiday decorations, listened to a wide range of music genres, enjoyed learning about quantum physics, saw Riverdance almost as many times as ZZ Top, and much more.
Bill Matyear was predeceased by his father, William Matyear Senior; his uncles, David Armando Camacho and Bobby Matyear; his aunt, Eleanor Leal; his grandparents; and two of his best friends, Richard Spencer and Hector Fierro. He is survived by his Mother, Sara Matyear; his aunts: Mary Jane Treff, Carmen Jacques, and Alicia Rodriguez; the love of his life, Lisa Ramirez; his daughters, Athena Matyear (Geoff) and Lauren Matyear (Alexey); his pet cat, Sabrina “Kitty”; as well as many friends and family who love him and will miss him dearly.
The Rosary will be held at Funeraria del Angel Central (3839 Montana Ave., El Paso, TX 79903) on July 9th.Visitation will begin at 5:00 p.m., and the Vigil will begin at 7:00 p.m. The funeral will be held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral (1118 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX 79902) on July 10th, at 9:00 AM. The burial services will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park.
