Joseph M. Mathis, 83, went to be with his Lord and Savior on June 4, 2013.
He was born to Owen and Cordelia (Cox) Mathis on October 2, 1929 in Tifton, GA. After completing high school, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1946 at age 17. He started out as an electronics technician and served in various assignments during his career including the maintenance of radar and bomb systems on the B-29s used in the Berlin airlift. Joe was also the first enlisted man to arrive at Lowry AFB where he was charged with developing electronics and radar training curriculums.
In 1954, he met and married his soul mate Lynn Karisch in Austin, Texas and later had one son and two daughters. They traveled to different military bases during his 22 years of service.
He was one of the first enlisted men to become part of the team of a special weapons project involved with nuclear arms, specializing in the standardization of nuclear weapons handling. In 1968 he retired from Vandenberg AFB after attaining the rank of Chief Master Sergeant with the U.S. Air Force.
He continued working at Vandenberg for the next 23 years with Martin Marietta as an Ordnance Engineer. He became a launch conductor and was involved with the Titan Missile program. He retired from Martin Marietta in 1991. He continued his involvement with the Chiefs group, enjoyed yearly reunions with members of his 51st Munitions Maintenance Squadron and also volunteered at Vandenbergs pharmacy.
In 1972 Joe received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Chapman College. He then graduated from Golden Gate University in 1978 after completing his Master's degree in Public Administration.
Joe obtained his private pilots license and thoroughly enjoyed flying as one of his favorite pastimes. He made numerous flights in his Cessna just to go visit his daughter and her family in Madera for a few hours before heading back to Lompoc. His other hobbies included playing guitar, golfing, fishing, camping, bowling, playing bridge and solving daily crossword puzzles. Many Thanksgiving holidays were spent camping with family and friends. There were memorable adventures house boating on the Sacramento Delta. Joe was also a member of the Elks Lodge.
He was very involved with his church, Bethany Lutheran. Music was very important to him and in addition to playing guitar in earlier years during church services, he spent many years singing in the choir, was a Head Elder, led Bible studies and recently stepped down as president of the congregation. He and Lynn were also youth counselors for several years. Another important aspect of his church service was his involvement with the Stephen Ministry. He was also a part of the Lutheran Prison Ministry program.
You rarely saw Joe without a smile on his face, which left you with one in return. He did not know a stranger and was warm and kind to everyone he came into contact with. He had a heart of gold and always managed to put others needs before his own. His family was very important to him and he never failed to show his love and support for them. He will be greatly missed but there is comfort in knowing he once again is with the love of his life.