Lloyd Mathews

Lloyd Lee "Mat" Mathews, 81, of Anchorage, passed away July 14, 2011 at Providence Alaska Medical Center surrounded by family and friends. A memorial service will be held Monday, July 25 at 11 a.m. at Anchorage Grace Church, 12407 Pintail Street, Anchorage. Burial will follow at 2 p.m. at Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, 535 E. 9th Ave, Anchorage.

Mat was born on May 2, 1930 in Portland, Oregon. He grew up on a farm outside of Springfield, Oregon, and graduated from Pleasant Hill High School in 1947. Mat served in the 8th Army, 9th Corps, 378th Combat Engineer Battalion during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953. In 1956 Mat joined the Navy and served on Adak Naval Station and on both the carrier USS Shangri-La and the sub-tender, USS Sperry until 1960.

On March 5, 1960 Mat married Verna Engel in Winterhaven, California. Mat took a job with the Federal Aviation Administration and after several months of training in Oklahoma City, Mat, Verna and their son Bill moved to Anchorage in August of 1961. Their daughter, Sarah, was born in Anchorage in 1963. A year after the 1964 earthquake, the family moved to Palmdale, CA and then to Omak, WA where Mat took a job with Comsat as Chief Engineer, working on satellite communications for the Apollo missions.

In 1971, Mat had the opportunity to return to Alaska with the FAA and from that time on Anchorage was his home. Mat worked as an Electronics Technician for the FAA for almost 35 years, and after his retirement in 1994 contracted with the Harris Corporation as a Test Engineer installing navigational systems around the state.

Mat loved Alaska and enjoyed many hunting and fishing trips both in the early days in the 60s and later with his family and friends-dip netting in the Copper River, hunting on the Yentna, and commercial fishing out of Seward and Homer. He was known to be able to both build and fix almost anything, and he and Verna enjoyed their garden, greenhouse and home in Anchorage. Mat was also a lifetime member of the Elks and the National Rifle Association.

Mat was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He loved children and was "Grandpa Mat" to all those who came into his life. He is survived by his wife, Verna of Anchorage, son Bill (Susan) of Anchorage, daughter, Sarah of Nashville, TN, grandchildren Grant and Katie Mathews of Anchorage, and his brother Walt (Shirley) Flint of Corona, NM. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Blanche Mathews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Grace Christian School, 12407 Pintail Street, Anchorage, AK 99516. Arrangements were entrusted to Legacy Funeral Home, Kehl's Chapel.