Ralph Mathis

Ralph Mathis, 74, passed away peacefully at his home in Headland, AL, Sunday night, September 24, 2017.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, September 28, at 11 A.M. at Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home in Ozark, AL, with Rev. Stacy Stafford officiating. Burial will follow at Peniel Baptist Church Cemetery, Skipperville, AL. Visitation will be Wednesday, September 27, 6:00-8:00 P.M., at Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home. Pall bearers will be Christopher Vise, Braxton Hicks, Wesley Stanley, Mark Etheredge, Steve Phillips, and Larry Doster. Ralph attended Southside Baptist Church in Dothan, AL.

Ralph was born March 20, 1944, in Skipperville to the late Lenson and Mattie Lou Parmer Mathis. He was a graduate of Carroll High School in Ozark. During the Vietnam War (1963-1967), he served in the Navy as a radarman and was assigned to the destroyer USS Robison. He obtained an Associates Degree in Applied Science in Electrical Technology and certifications in HVAC and Instrumentation. He and his family moved to Mobile for a period of 13 years where he was employed at Bachelor's Heating and Air. The family moved to Dothan in 1989 where he worked for Sony until his retirement in 2009. He enjoyed his lifelong career in the HVAC industry.

Ralph was a devoted family man and father. Some of his favorite times were spent with the girls boating, skiing, and fishing. He had a great sense of humor and enjoyed making people laugh. He loved sharing his knowledge of cooking, gardening, and everything in between.
Ralph had a passion for nature and enjoyed growing flowers and working in his vegetable garden. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and liked nothing better than to be in the woods on a cool morning or on his boat fishing. Every fall, he looked forward to traveling to the North Carolina mountains during leaf season.

In addition to his parents, Ralph was preceded in death by an infant brother Edward Mathis, his sister Ann Etheredge, and great-granddaughter October Blessing Davis.

Ralph is survived by his daughters Regina Vise (Sonny) of Mobile, AL, and Renee Schaule of Dothan; stepdaughters Angie DeLoney of Ozark, AL, Pam Worten (Tommy) of White Springs, FL, and Kim Chambless of Midland City, AL.; Grandchildren Brande Vise , Katie Stanley(Wesley), and Christopher Vise(Codye), all of Mobile; Brittani Mathis and Braxton Hicks of Jacksonville, FL, and Olivia Schaule of Dothan. Step-Grandchildren Nikki Brooks (Casey) of Enterprise, AL , Kristi Tapia of Midland City, AL, Joshua Doggett (Crystal) of Opp, AL, Justin Worten of White Springs, FL, Casey Janes of Dothan, AL, Victoria Pyles (Brandon) of Camp Lejeune, NC, and 12 great-grandchildren. Ralph is also survived by brothers Bill Mathis (May Ann) of Louisville, KY, Norman Mathis of Dothan; sister Cecelia Mulliford (Jack) of Newton, GA; brother-in-law David Etheredge (Elaine) of Dothan.

Special thanks to caretakers Suzie Johnson and Diane Pew and to Covenant Hospice.