John R. Mathis

Friday, Nov. 13, 2015

BRIGHAM CITY — John R. (Jack) Mathis died on Oct. 9, 2015 after an extended illness. 

Mathis was born to Virginia Beaton on June 21, 1935 in Omaha, Neb. His father, Jack Beaton, died shortly before Mathis was born. He spent five years in Omaha before moving to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where his mother married Frank Mathis, who later adopted him. The family moved to Denver, Colo., where Mathis attended Regis College on a scholarship and received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1956. 

Mathis worked for Convair in Ft. Worth, Texas for three years before moving to Brigham City, Utah, where he was a chemical engineer at Thiokol. Except for a career change in 1966-1967, at Boeing in Seattle, Wash., he remained at Thiokol for the rest of his career. While at Thiokol, Mathis worked on the Minuteman and Trident Missile programs, the Space Shuttle solid rocket motor booster program, had a patent awarded to him, and he was in the first group of civilians to be honored by NASA astronauts with the Silver Snoopy Award; he was among those selected to view the first Space Shuttle launch in 1981. He retired from Thiokol in 1993. 

Mathis met his wife, Kathleen Jensen, while working at Thiokol; they were married on Feb. 8, 1964. He had a lifelong love of trout and trains. The family spent many a Saturday in the Ogden switchyard watching trains and eating McDonald’s fries, and many summers with trips to Pinedale, Wyo., or Grand Mesa, Colo., to go fishing. 

He will be remembered for his sense of humor, love of the Denver Broncos and telling stories. He was a longtime member of St. Henry Catholic Church in Brigham City, where he served on committees, parish council, as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and a lector. 

He was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia Mathis; father, Jack Beaton; step-father Frank Mathis and brother Michael R. Mathis. He leaves behind his wife of 51 years, Kathy; sister Virginia Howshar; children John (Kari) Mathis, and Michelle Mathis; grandchildren Joseph (JD) Mathis, Aidan Mathis and Emily Mathis; sister-in-law Karen Mathis; and several nieces and nephews. 

A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. James the Just Catholic Church. Donations can be made in Jack Mathis’ name to the St. Henry social hall building fund, 382 South 200 East, Brigham City, Utah.