Mathis, Patricia
MATHIS, Patricia R. Patricia R. Mathis was born December 14, 1934, in Moultrie, Georgia, to Tom and Lillian (Spivey) Blalock. Although she mostly went by "Pat", she was also known as "Mom" or "Grandma Pat" to her family. Pat passed away peacefully at her home in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 11, 2020. Pat graduated from Tifton High School in 1953, where she met her husband of many years, W. Glenn Mathis. She attended Georgia College for Women in Milledgeville, graduating with a degree in Chemistry in 1956. She married Glenn in Tifton, Georgia, in December of 1955. After college and starting her family, Pat worked at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Agricultural Research Center in Tifton followed by the YWCA in Jacksonville, Florida. Pat spent many years as a science teacher in Tift County Schools, Moultrie Middle School, Newnan High School, East Coweta High School, and Forest Park High School. While teaching full-time, she earned a Master of Education degree from West Georgia College in Carrollton in 1974. Pat retired from teaching in 1984 and began a second career selling computers and electronics at Macy's at Southlake Mall in Morrow, Georgia. She retired from Macy's in 1998. In addition to work, Pat was active in volunteering and service. In the 1960's, she was a Girl Scout leader. She was a lay-reader and member of the church Altar Guild at several Episcopal parishes in Florida and Georgia. Most notably, she was a founding member of the Daughters of the King chapter at St. Augustine of Canterbury in Morrow, Georgia. After retirement, Pat enjoyed gardening, travel and reading. She especially enjoyed travel with her children and their families, going to England, Lake Tahoe, Vail, Winter Park, Canada, Mexico, The Bahamas, Disney World, New Orleans, and St. Simon's Island. In 2007, Pat moved to Calvin Court, the independent living community in the Buckhead area of Atlanta where she would spend the rest of her life. Calvin Court became her community of friends and allowed her to spend her days and evenings doing the things she enjoyed most: visiting with her neighbors over dinner or games of trivia or bingo, exercising in the Calvin Court gym, reading and discussing books with fellow book club members, or going out for meals with visiting family members. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Cynthia Blalock Beggs, and her former husband W. Glenn Mathis. She is survived by her children: Molly (David) Darnell of Tucker, GA; Mike (Shirley) Mathis of Orlando, FL; Ricky Mathis (David) of Houston, TX; and Ray (Mary) Mathis of Dawsonville, GA; her nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Friends and family remember her as a sweet, yet feisty, person of great intelligence. She will be greatly missed! A celebration of Pat's life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in her name to either the Presbyterian Homes of Georgia at https://www.phgainc.org/donate/caring-hands-offering/ or St. Augustine's Episcopal Church at https://www.staugustinesmorrow.org/donations.html
