Obituary of James "Jim" Dean Mathis Jr.

James “Jim” Dean Mathis, 71, passed away Tuesday, December 28, 2021. He is preceded in death by his father James Dean Mathis Sr., and mother Evelyn Kuhn Mathis. Left to cherish Jim’s memory are his loving wife, of 49 years, Susan Elder Mathis; sons James Dean Mathis III (Rusty), James Gregory Mathis (Amy), Timothy Sean Mathis (Anjeey); daughter Beth Ann Ruiz (Edson); brothers Greg Mathis (Connie), Eddie Mathis, Chris Mathis (Ava); sisters Nancy Copeland (Charles), Rosemary Epperson; grandchildren Lauren, Mary, Emily, Landon, Sadie, Elyza, Jackson, Ruby, and a host of other dear family and friends. Jim was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, who cherished his wife and family. His grandchildren affectionately knew him as their “Opa”. Jim had a strong faith in Christ and truly loved people. He always saw the good in everyone and never gave up on anyone. Jim loved to visit and talk with people he knew or just met. He never knew a stranger. Jim loved to volunteer and enjoyed mentoring youth. He was involved with Scouting for many years. Jim also loved the men’s Emmaus Bible Study group that met on Friday mornings at 5:15 am. He was always the last one to leave. A man who loved the outdoors, Jim enjoyed duck hunting and tending to his garden. He truly loved animals. Over the years Jim raised polled Hereford cattle, hatched more than 300 ducks, and was also a dog trainer. He had a thirst for knowledge and loved to read. Jim especially loved geology and genealogy. Jim also loved food, and the man could cook. His breakfast tacos were always a favorite. Jim will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to either: Builders Without Borders of Texas. http://www.builderswithoutbordersoftexas.org/ MD Anderson. In memory of (Jim Mathis), contributions may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486 orwww.mdanderson.org/gifts. Please designate funds to VD Gallbladder Research Priority Prog under Dr. Javle