Marilyn Kelty Mathis

Marilyn K. Mathis, 67, of Louisville passed away peacefully with her loving husband Tony by her side on Friday, December 26, 2025.
She was born on February 18, 1958 in Louisville to the late Marian Seng Kelty and John M. Kelty.
A graduate of Doss High School, she received her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Spalding University. Marilyn began her professional career in 1981 in the office at Ratterman & Sons Funeral Home. Later she accepted a business role with Accord, a grief counseling services company serving funeral homes across the country. Marilyn was notable for her strong organizational abilities, as well as her outstanding people skills.
Certification as a scuba diver in 1989 opened her eyes to a whole new world, literally. Marilyn pursued diving education at Louisville Dive Center to its highest levels, becoming an instructor under both NAUI and SSI and achieving ratings as an Instructor Trainer and Course Director. Her true vocation was safely introducing hundreds of students to the wonders of the underwater world, and she transitioned to full-time instructing in the 1990s. Marilyn led group trips to US and International diving locations like the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and the Mayan Riviera. She worked for brief periods at Tavernier Dive Center in the Keys, and on a liveaboard dive boat in the Bahamas for Blackbeard Cruises. Several of her students became public safety divers, divemasters, and scuba instructors themselves, continuing her legacy.
Marilyn was equally passionate about maintaining ties with the members of the Kelty and Mathis families. For many years she hosted an annual summer reunion of the Kelty clan. When a new niece or nephew was born, she couldn't wait to meet them and hold them for hours at a time. Birthdays and holiday gatherings were opportunities to catch up with local relatives, and those living remotely could expect frequent phone calls, texts, and emails. When her aging parents needed care, Marilyn did not hesitate to curtail, and later to end, her scuba teaching career. Nonetheless, she and her husband continued to dive at every opportunity and recently returned from her final dive trip on November 12, 2025.
She is survived by her loving husband of 47 years, Tony E. Mathis; sister Eileen Kelty; brother, Tim Kelty; brothers- and sisters-in-law Lese and Easy Worthington, Nina and Tim Moseley, and Eric and Angel Mathis; and a multitude of beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and other loving family members and friends.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2026 at Ratterman & Sons Funeral Home 3800 Bardstown Road and after 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2026 with a celebration of life to begin at 12 p.m.
Memorial gifts may be made to Wayside Christian Mission, Friends of Metro Animal Services, or donor's favorite charity. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Marilyn, please visit our floral store.