Donald Gene Matthews

Skip was born on May 11, 1941, in Richlands, North Carolina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1959 as a combat medic. Later, he qualified as an Army parachutist and changed his military specialty to vehicle mechanic-recovery specialist. In 1965, Skip was deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division to the Dominican Republic.

He served two tours in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade from 1967 to 1969. Throughout his career, Skip was stationed with his family at various posts in the U.S. and Europe, though he considered Fort Hood and Nolanville his home. After retiring from the Army in 1979, he worked for fifteen years in civil service at Fort Hood Range Control, Target Division. Skip took great pride in his military service, especially his time with the Airborne and his deployment to Vietnam.

Skip cherished his family, friends, and pets. He was an avid car enthusiast, owning many throughout his life. He loved fishing, boating, camping, and traveling across the country in his RV. A natural problem-solver, Skip could repair just about anything and thrived on hands-on projects that allowed him to tinker and build. He was baptized at Northside Baptist Church in Nolanville and attended services whenever his health allowed. He also served as a Nolanville City Council Member, dedicated to improving his community.

Skip was preceded in death by his sisters, Faye Iglehart of Timberlake, NC; Aline Schuck of Hagerstown, MD; and Helen Crowell of Gainesville, FL; his mother, Daisy Mae Rouse of Durham, NC; and his father, Claude Lee Matthews of Durham, NC.

He is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Matthews of Nolanville, TX, daughter Brenda Huckaba (sons D.J. and Tommy) of Nolanville, TX, sons Thomas Matthews (spouse Penny) of Temple, TX, Glenn “Skip” Matthews (spouse Jennifer, daughter Hannah) of Midlothian, TX, step-sons Alan Faulk (spouse Amy) & Daughter Maegan Faulk, of Silver Spring, MD, Michael “Randy” Faulk (spouse Christi) of San Antonio, TX. Mr. Matthews is also survived by his sister, Patricia Badary of Chesapeake, VA.

A Visitation for Skip will be held Wednesday, September 11, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home. A Graveside Service will be held on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery.

Following the service, there will be a reception for family and friends at VFW Post 3892, located at 201 VFW Drive, Harker Heights, Texas