Melinda Sue Mata

Melinda Sue Ihle Mata was the glue of her family; she passed away on 11 November 2023 in Henderson, Nevada. She was born 17 February 1958 in Tucson, Arizona. She grew up in a small town called Mammoth, Arizona. Melinda was the oldest child of Sebastian Peter Ihle and Sandra Jane Dicks. Her father was a miner for the Magma Mine until he retired and later repaired TV’s, her mother worked for the Bank in Mammoth until she moved away to California.

Melinda graduated high school in 1976 from San Manuel High School. She went away to college shortly after to Northern Arizona University while she met Paul C. Mata during her freshman year at NAU while they were both working at the school library.

Paul and Melinda were married 6 January 1979 in Pinetop, Arizona at Saint Mary’s of the Angels, a church that Paul helped build. Shortly after their wedding they moved to Azusa, California for Paul’s work for 6 months. They moved to Show Low, Arizona for 4 years, during that time Melinda worked for McDonald’s in Show Low and Pinetop. Her boss George Kunz decided to relocate his McDonald’s company to Las Vegas, Nevada and because Melinda spoke Spanish he asked her to relocate to train his new hires. During her years at McDonald’s they called her Max. She embraced the name so much that her Nevada license plate read MAD MAX. It was at this time she decided to go back to college to finish getting a teaching degree. She worked during the day, and went to school at night for over a 10 year period, and with the help of Paul she raised their two daughters, Annica and Raissa.

Melinda graduated from UNLV in 1997 after completing her student teaching at Basic High School. She started teaching at a brand new school in North Las Vegas and volunteered to be the Spanish Department chair at Mojave High School. In 2008 her assistant principal left Mojave and asked Melinda to come with him to Chaparral High with him. She taught at Chaparral until 2013 when she retired from Clark County School District.

During her years as a teacher Melinda made an impact on her students and other staff members. She was more than their teacher, she advocated and helped them see their true potential. She believed in them when no one else did. Every year she seemed to unofficially be adopting students. One of those students interviewed Melinda for the StoryCorps Project in 2013 and now her voice is forever recorded in the Library of Congress on why she chose to help him leave gang life. Melinda taught Spanish, English, and Avid at two different inner city High schools in Las Vegas. When you see the movies Dangerous Minds and Stand and Deliver that’s the kind of teacher she was. Several of her project children went on to do things they never thought they could, some became the first college graduates in their family, business owners, lawyers, actors, etc…

Since Melinda’s only brother passed away and never had any children, she was an amazing Aunt to her nieces and nephews on Paul's side. She often gave advice respectfully to them whether they wanted to hear it or not.

Melinda was a strong opinionated woman and could be professional when the situation called for it but if you really knew her she had no problem telling you off with more colorful language or gestures.

Melinda was an avid reader and knitter since her childhood. As she got older it amazed her children that she could read a book a day and when she temporarily lost her vision she made a change to audiobooks. This switch allowed her to read and knit at the same time. Melinda went to knitting groups regularly to socialize and knit but often she ended up helping her friends on their projects. At the time of her death she was in the process of getting an accreditation in knitting. Melinda knitted for enjoyment and the quality of her knitting would have made her money but she did not want the hassle. She got more enjoyment by giving it away to family, friends, random strangers and the Navajo Nation. She also enjoyed riding motorcycles with Paul and begged him to take her for a ride often.

Melinda was the best Nana to her 3 grandchildren. She doted on them and spent time with them as often as she could. She helped raise Andrea from the age of 7 and is often referred to as the third daughter.

Melinda's father Sebastian Ihle, mother Sandra Gomez, stepfather Peter Gomez, brother Jeffery Ihle and Aunt Jenny Prennance predeceased her. She leaves behind her husband Paul Mata of Henderson; daughters: Annica (James Bussino) Mata-Bussino of Snowflake, AZ; Raissa (Tasha Wells) Mata of Boulder City; her grandchildren: Andrea Danise (Richard Mendoza), Sebastian Bussino, Tristan Bussino and her cousins Stacy Shapin and Leslie Stiba.

Visitation will be held Saturday December 2, 2023 at 1:00 PM followed by Services at 3:00 PM, both will be at Palm Boulder Highway Mortuary, 800 S. Boulder Highway in Henderson Nevada. She will be buried at Saint Mary’s of the Angels in Pinetop, Arizona at a later date in 2024.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Melinda’s memory to Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. You can access details from the link below

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmboulderhighway.com for the Mata family.