Joseph Edward Matthews

Joseph Edward Matthews, long-time Mont Belvieu community leader, conservationist, and sportsman died at age 95 on Sunday, January 11, 2009 in Mont Belvieu, Texas. A Memorial service will be held at 12:00 Noon Thursday, January 15, 2009 at the First United Methodist Church of Mont Belvieu with Rev. Jamie Lea and Rev. James F. Jackson officiating. A private interment will be held before the service. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at Navarre Funeral Home in Baytown, Texas.

Joe's community service spanned 50 years. He was elected to the Barbers Hill School Board in 1946 and served 17 years, nine as president. He was a director of Mont Belvieu Water Control and Improvement District in the 1940's, and also served on the Mont Belvieu City Council 1973-77 and 1980-81. He was a staunch advocate for wetlands, successfully organizing a campaign opposing the establishment of a Wallisville Reservoir Project in the 1960's. He was a sportsman for 75 years, enjoying fishing on Trinity Bay and duck hunting in his beloved Trinity River Bottom, having formed the Pickett's Bayou Hunt Club with two of his best friends. He was employed by Exxon for 40 years, retiring in 1978. During his years at Exxon he worked in Baytown and overseas in South Africa, Sweden, Japan, and Greece in charge of plant startups and instrumentation departments. He also spent several years in California bringing a plant on line. He wrote instrumentation training manuals and videos that were used for teaching all Exxon employees how instrumentation worked in the plant. These manuals were still in use in the late 1990's.

Mr. Matthews was born in Mont Belvieu, TX on July 4, 1913. He was the valedictorian of Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, and attended Rice University until he met and married his beloved Anna Lee. Joe E. Matthews Community Park in Mont Belvieu is named for him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank Cartright and Selina Bayless Matthews and four sisters. He is survived by his wife of almost 76 years, Anna Lee Stakes Matthews; a son, Guy E. Matthews, and his wife, Carolyn, of Houston; granddaughter Kelly Matthews Gerber, her husband Carl, and their sons Jason and Jeff; granddaughter Heather Matthews Camfield, her husband Paul, son Ramsey Al-Azem and daughter Carter Camfield; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Honorary pallbearers are members of the Picketts Bayou Hunt Club.

Special thanks are extended to caregivers Betty Gresham, Sharon Johnson, Mary Russell, Patricia Frazier and Beverly Williams.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to First United Methodist Church, 10629 Eagle Drive, PO Box 530, Mont Belvieu, TX 77580, (281) 576-1832.

Arrangements are under the direction of Navarre Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 2444 Rollingbrook Drive, Baytown, Texas 77521, (281) 422-8111.