John Clifford Mathews

John Clifford (Cliff) Mathews, Jr. age 76 of Dallas Texas passed away with his family by his side on October 8, 2013. He was born in Cedar Rapids IA on Sept 8 1937. Cliff was preceded in death by his parents John Clifford Sr and Charline Mathews, his brother Frederick, his nephews Michael Mathews and Andrew Mathews. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Nancy; his daughters Sheryl DiVita, Jennifer (Kevin) George and Taylor Mathews his son John Mathews and brothers Philip and Richard (Robyn) Mathews, six grandchildren; 15 nieces and nephews and many beloved cousins. Cliff graduated with a degree in English from Miami University of Ohio in 1959. He was an active member in the Theta Chi fraternity and served in multiple leadership roles including President of his pledge class and President of the chapter in 1958-59. Cliff’s oldest daughter, Sheryl DiVita, lives in Grayslake Illinois with her two children, Michael and Michelle and her partner Bob Flannery and his son Brian. Sheryl is an executive in the Defense Surveillance industry and enjoys golf, boating, and fast cars just like her Dad. Cliff’s son, John lives in Dallas and has four grown children; Neil, Nick, Natalie and Narissa. He works for L-3Com in the area of first responder technologies. Cliff’s middle daughter, Jennifer George, lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Kevin. Jennifer is a professional with the Internal Revenue Service. Cliff’s youngest daughter, Taylor, currently lives in Stillwater, Oklahoma and is studying Dietetics at Oklahoma State University and is a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Taylor hung up her soccer cleats this year after playing for 15 years to spend time with family and focus on studies. Cliff worked for over thirty years in International sales and marketing within the Communications and Defense Electronics industry. In the early stages of his career, he was the International Sales Manager for Hallicrafters which was subsequently purchased by Northrop Corporation. He was responsible for the Middle East and Asia which brought him in contact with heads of state and royalty throughout Asia. His later career found him involved in the Japan F-15J upgrade program working for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. He continued his involvement with the defense electronics industry and other pursuits through his own firm, Intersys, in later years. Cliff enjoyed playing golf with family and friends and despite creative scoring methodology and liberal mulligan allowances he and good friend Wayne Hutchison were never able to beat brother-in-law John on the golf course. Wayne and Kay Hutchison aka “Uncle Kay and Aunt Wayne” became part of the family and spent many holidays and outings with the Mathews and Martin families. John Martin and his wife, Barbara, were also frequent visitors to the Mathews household. Cliff tutored the Martin nephews, Sean, Joel, Kyle, and Jeff in the correct way to wash and detail Jaguars, how to sail, and how to order Mexican food. Cliff added his unique itinerary event planning to many holiday gatherings, summer vacations in the pool, and Halloween parties in Eureka Springs, Arkansas which were loved by the in-laws Don and Louise Gray and the Martin family. Cliff enjoyed traveling and was a foodie long before it was in vogue. He had a gift for seeking out unique antique galleries, fine dining establishments, lively pubs and tasty. He particularly enjoyed finding little known restaurants and clubs with lots of character. He often combined his love for automobiles, adventure and pubbing; designing many road tours and treasure hunts for his friends and family. He enjoyed a wonderful “underbelly” tour of Dallas put together by his brother, Rick, to celebrate his 75th birthday last year. It was a momentous event! Rick and his wife, Robyn and their two sons, Steven and Ryan have a close relationship with Cliff and his family sharing many holidays and special events together over the years. The family would like to extend their gratitude to Sylvia and Grace Hospice: Bret, Shamim, Deidra, Terry, and Pam for their fine service and support in making Cliff’s final days as comfortable as possible.

Services will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday October 12th at Ted Dickey Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or the charity of one’s choice.