John Lauer Mather

1939 - 2021

John Mather, 82, passed away at the end of August, following an extended illness. In his last days, he was surrounded by his wife, sister-in-law, and his two daughters and their partners. John was born in Akron, Ohio, to Lauer and Laona Manton Mather. He attended Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, and graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he met Jeanie, who became his first wife and the mother of his daughters, Katrina and Emily. John proudly served in the U.S. Coast Guard and then became an advertising executivefirst in Chicago, and then Atlanta. During this time, as throughout his long, rich life, he met lifelong friends. He was an active supporter of the ACLU and a passionate participant during the Civil Rights Movement. During the 1970s and 1980s, John was dedicated to working on the campaigns of Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young in Atlanta while working his advertising day job. Once he retired from advertising, he started a travel agency to help fulfill his passion for travel. He pursued that passion both in the United States and abroad with his second wife, Sherry, who also owned a travel agency and whom he married in 1999. John was loved for his sense of humor, intelligence, and generosity. He loved having fun and created good times no matter where he was or whom he was with. He approached life with a buoyant, sunny-side-up attitude that made everyone around him smile. Those interested in honoring John can make a donation to the National Park Foundation or any state park, nature center, or botanical garden of your choosing.