Charles Wayne Mathews II

Charles Wayne Mathews II, 43, died peacefully at his home in Alabaster on January 12, 2021, surrounded by family and loved ones. He heard his beloved Crimson Tide win the national championship just hours before he passed. A celebration of life reception will be held at Southern Heritage Funeral Home on July 18th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

Charles was born to Wayne and Kathy Mathews on June 7, 1977. He attended Birmingham City Schools before graduating from Vestavia Hills High School in 1995. He was an avid gardener and a phenomenal cook. He also loved astronomy, playing Zelda, and model trains.

Charles worked as a meat cutter for Bruno’s and Publix Supermarkets for 20+ years. Charles met his soulmate, Dalila Fondren, in 2000. In 2009 they were married on the campus of the University of Montevallo, and in 2012 they welcomed daughter Ava Kathleen to the world.

In 2013, Charles was diagnosed with a rare form of appendix cancer. Doctors in Birmingham were unable to treat it and recommended he be seen by an expert in Pittsburgh, PA. He underwent marathon surgeries and clinical trials in Pittsburgh over the next several years, as well as procedures and chemotherapy at UAB. Through it all, he was a fighter, driven mostly by his love for his family. He was determined to give Ava a chance to get to know her father. It was one of his first concerns when diagnosed and the topic of one of his last conversations.

Charles outlived the doctors’ estimates time and again. He survived almost 8 years after his diagnosis, far exceeding expectations. His strength, grit, and determination seemed bottomless. He was an inspiration to all who heard his story.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Arnold and Mildred Mathews and Charles and Tressie Mobley, and his father- and mother-in-law, Carl and Lula Fondren.

He is survived by his loving wife, Dalila; his daughter, Ava; his parents, Wayne and Kathy; his sister, Jennifer (Tom) Land; his sisters-in-law Colleen (Chuck) Gracey, Ashley (Greg) Seaman, and Mary (Adam) Dunny; his brother-in-law Brad (Heather) Fondren; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins; and countless friends and extended family members.

As Charles wrote during his first visit to Pittsburgh, “Wink at the moon or pick a star out there and think of me.”