Phil Mattheus

Phillip Mattheus was born 1947 in Bakersfield, California to Thelma E. Rogers and Avila D. Mattheus.
Phil's life really took off when he started working for Mobil Chemical, which later became PACTIV. His many noted achievements were rewarded by 46 years of dedication to a company he loved. During his time at PACTIV, he had a constant willingness to share his time and skills with everyone.
No one who ever met Phil forgot his infectious passion for his non-work activities: AMA moto-cross, desert racing and many years of car racing, which included: enduro, hobby stocks, super stocks and street stocks. Phil and his close friend Billy Braisher won the championship for hobby stocks in 1989 - he was known to the racing community as 'Super Phil.' In his early adolescent years, it was noted that of all his required classes, Phil excelled with his passion for art. In fact, this led Phil to create and design the Mattheus Mob racing team logo. In keeping with his passion for racing, Phil gave countless hours of his time, sharing his knowledge and skills with other race teams, even joking that he needed to go back to work to get some free time.
Phil retired in 2013 and was the last retiring member of the original Mobil Chemical crew. Once retired his primary focus became his island. The island was a special place for him to enjoy solitude and the renewing powers of silence. Phil spent hundreds of hours grooming and making improvements to the island for family and friends to enjoy.
During his long residence in Bakersfield, Phil was a long time donor at Houchin Blood Bank, donating 107 times, which equaled 13 gallons - saving 321 lives. He was also a chili cook-off judge and a softball coach for the women's Puma team. It was Phil's nature to be protecting and caring of others. Due to his unwavering kindness in his neighborhood, he was known as the Sheriff of Choctaw.
While working at Mobil Chemical, Phil met Sunny Moore. They started dating in 1982 and after many years of asking, she finally said yes in 1994. Phil fondly referred to Sunny as 'Sunny Bunny,' an endearment that lasted his lifetime. Sunny was the love of his life and a constant companion to share adventures with.
Phil is survived by his true love Sunny, his children - Adam, Flip and Jason, his daughter in laws - Pamela and Meri, his grandchildren - Katherine, Keith, Jordan, Trinity, Jon Phillip, Raymond, Zoey, Jason Jr. and Christian, his great grandchildren - Layla, Logan, Leo, Amelia, his brother Kenny, sister Louise and many nieces and nephews. After the service there is a celebration of life at The Racquet Club 1660 Pine Street between 3-7 p.m.