| Notes |
- Obit:
Richard Neal Mather age 77, of Waxhaw, NC died March 8, 2017 at Union County Hospice House after a long illness.
Born August 5, 1939 in Detroit to Coit H. and Helen Jappel Mather, Dick attended public schools in Harper Woods, Michigan, then attended Southern Illinois University from 1961-1964 where he met and married his wife of 54 years, Ruth Ann Schaffner.
After graduating from SIU with a degree in History, he enrolled in the Far Eastern & Russian Institute at the University of Washington in Seattle, WA., where he studied Chinese history and language. In 1968 the family moved to Beckley, WV where they lived for the next 41 years. He worked first with the Neighborhood Youth Corps, then as a carpenter. When the construction industry in WV started into a downward trend, he started working with Ruth in her sign business. The two of them ran it for the next 38 years continuing even after retiring to Waxhaw in 2010.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth, children Alan Mather of Winston Salem, NC, Amy Mather (Randall Smith) of Omaha, NE, and Donald Mather (Lauren) of Mineral Springs, NC; Grandchildren, Christopher Mather (Nicole) of Mocksville, NC, Jacob and Jessica Mather of Winston Salem, and Rex Mather of Mineral Springs, NC; Great-grandchildren, Brandon and Bella Mather of Mocksville, NC. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Donald E. Mather.
A visitation will be held on Friday, March 10, 2017 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM with a funeral service at 1:00 PM at the Heritage Funeral Home, Weddington Chapel, 3700 Forest Lawn Dr., Matthews, NC. Burial will follow at Southside Cemetery, Waxhaw, NC
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Union County Hospice House, the Cancer Research Institute, or the Library Association of Waxhaw. To sign Richard’s online guestbook please visit www.heritagecares.com
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1939 - 2017 (77 years)
