Arthur Leroy Matheny

Arthur Leroy Matheny passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 90. “Art” was a devoted husband to his wife of 66 years, “Lisa” (Chu Pei Pei), who passed away in 2024, and a wonderful father to his two daughters Melissa and Melinda. He was also a proud grandfather and great-grandfather. He loved his family dearly, and would tell them so often. He was immensely proud and honored to have served the U.S. Navy for almost 50 years, retiring with 27 years of active duty service followed by a second career as a civilian. Art was the eternal optimist – his glass was always half full, even in the toughest of times. His motto was “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”, which was also one of his favorite songs. His heart was full of music and he loved to sing (despite, as a child, being told by his music teacher that he should just “mouth the words”).

His beginnings were humble. Born during The Great Depression in Nelsonville, Ohio, “Pete”, as he was known then, was just 6 years old when his mother died, forcing him, his older sister and three younger brothers to spend their childhood in and out of the Athens County Children’s Home. His family was reunited a couple times when his father remarried, and two stepbrothers and an adopted baby sister were added to the mix. At 15, he went to live and work on a farm in Amesville, Ohio. He attended three different high schools, graduating from Ward High School in Carbon Hill, Ohio in 1954. He and his buddy decided to join the Army, but on the day they went to sign up, the Army recruiter’s office was closed, so they went across the hall to the Navy recruiter. Pete enlisted and left Ohio for the first time in his life to start his Navy career as a Yeoman Seaman Apprentice.

In 1955, he was assigned to the US Taiwan Defense Command in Taipei, Taiwan. There, at an Embassy dance, Pete met a woman named Lisa and for him it was love at first sight – he claimed the moment he saw her, he knew she was the woman he would marry. Lisa took some convincing, but after years of determined courting on his part, then counseling, red tape, and bureaucracy from the governments of Taiwan and the United States, they were granted permission and married in a courtroom on September 4, 1958.

One of his proudest achievements was being selected for the “Seaman to Admiral” Program and in 1961 he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps. His first duty assignment to the destroyer USS John W. Weeks was cut short in 1962 when it was discovered he had a life-threatening pituitary tumor which required radiation then craniotomy surgery to remove it. Fears of losing his Navy career loomed large, and to make matters worse, Lisa was pregnant with their first child. Thankfully the surgery was successful, and he was eventually able to return to active shore duty. In 1968, he was assigned to the Seabee Construction Battalion in Gulfport, Mississippi, which was deploying to Vietnam. The Navy considered the partial blindness in his right eye resulting from the tumor a “disability” that would preclude him from serving in Vietnam, but Art managed to convince the powers that be otherwise, and he served there for nine months. He returned from Vietnam on the day Category 5 Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf Coast, stranding him in California desperate to know if Lisa and the girls were okay. Days later he was joyfully reunited with his family, and within months he moved them to paradise -- Honolulu, Hawaii. His assignment with Pacific Division Facilities Engineering Command required a great deal of travel to Asia, which was tough on the family. He would always return home with dolls from the countries he visited, and the doll collections were Melissa and Melinda’s pride and joy. Art and Lisa could be seen at the occasional cocktail party donning matching Aloha shirt and Muumuu. Art was finally able to make the time to take the family on its first true vacation, flying “space available” to Taiwan, introducing the children to the place where their parents first met.

Art was a life-long learner and a voracious reader. He passed on the joy of reading to his daughters, relishing weekend trips to the library where they would all come home with stacks of books. Having begun his Navy career at 18 years of age as a Yeoman, he lacked the college degree that most of his fellow officers possessed, so while stationed in Pascagoula, Mississippi, after working long days as the Logistics Officer at the Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Ingalls Shipyard, he began taking college courses at night. College aspirations took a backseat, however, when he was afforded the opportunity to be assigned to the Defense Property Disposal Service, Taipei, Taiwan in 1976. This was a dream come true for Lisa, which made him truly happy.

His final duty station was nowhere near the water, but in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he worked for the Headquarters, Defense Property Disposal Service until he retired from active duty in 1981, after 27 years of service. Take the man out of the Navy, but you can’t take the Navy out of the man. Art and Lisa moved to the Washington, DC area, eventually settling in Fairfax, Virginia, and Art continued to work for the Navy for another 22 years as a contractor. In 1984, he finally graduated from college, earning a B.S. Degree in Business from Park College. Melissa also graduated that year, and she joined him as a Navy contractor. He would smirk and shake his head when she addressed him as “Art” at work. In 1986, Melinda followed in his footsteps and joined the Navy’s Supply Corps. Never was he prouder than when he held the bible and administered her oath of office.

Art and Lisa moved into the Vinson Hall Retirement Community in 2018, where they enjoyed a more relaxed pace of life together. After Lisa passed, he continued to search for joy in each day, though he missed her terribly. A logistician at heart, he loved to create inventories, and to keep track of daily activities and important information in his many notebooks. He was big fan of classic country music, word search puzzles, Rummy, Rummikub, and any kind of dessert, especially ice cream. He would affirm with the greatest sincerity, to his doctors, therapists, caregivers, anyone he met: “I have a good life. I miss my wife, but I have two wonderful daughters, three wonderful granddaughters, and seven wonderful great grandchildren, and they take good care of me” and he meant every word. Fair winds and following seas, Art – your light and smile are truly missed.

Art is survived by his daughters, Melissa Matheny Denkler and Melinda Matheny (Paul Martin), and granddaughters Emmalee Denkler Zaatar (Daniel), Caitlyn Denkler Conner (Jonathan), and Audrey Denkler Tallon (Chase), and great grandchildren Zia and Reyah Zaatar; Callan, Jon Mark, and Gemma Conner; and Rowan and Miller Tallon. He is also survived by brothers Donald and Michael.