COLUMBUS
Dr. John Joseph Mathis III, aged 73, of Vincennes, IN, and recently of Columbus, IN, died December 23, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. After serving his community faithfully as a radiologist, John developed early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease and succumbed to complications after a long illness.
John was preceded in death by his father, John Joseph Mathis, Jr., and his mother, Marilyn Marie (Albright) Mathis. He was born and raised in Brazil, IN, and graduated from Brazil High School, where he played trombone, was the band’s drum major, and played football and basketball. He joined the US Army in 1970 and worked at Fort Sam Houston, TX, as an X-ray technologist and an X-ray instructor in the Brooke Army Medical Center. He then obtained a BA degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Oklahoma State University medical school in Tulsa.
John married Nancy Jo Berger on June 6, 1971. They returned to Indiana for a radiology residency in South Bend, and then John practiced in Vincennes, a community he and Nancy loved, for 37 years. He was an extremely hard-working yet caring physician who maintained a very considerate and respectful approach both to the patients for whom he cared and the colleagues with whom he worked.
John was an active member of First United Methodist Church in Vincennes, where he served on various committees, enjoyed Sunday School and Dinner for Eight, sang in the choir, and played handbells. He helped create and volunteered with Kids for Christ for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students.
John had many interests. He was never without a book and was a life-long learner. He enjoyed hunting with his Army buddies, especially fall hunts in Nebraska. He enjoyed shooting at the Knox County Gun Club with friends. He was a great fan of auto racing, especially Midwest dirt tracks, but also liked NASCAR, the Indy 500, and the Tulsa Chili Bowl with groups of friends. He liked music, painting, drawing, and boating, especially with his grandchildren. He really enjoyed spending time with friends at the airport and the Verne Store.
His favorite hobby was flying. John was an accomplished pilot, having flown to most of the 48 contiguous states for family adventures. He enjoyed flying to visit friends and relatives and to attend continuing medical education courses and auto races. He was very generous and donated flights to auctions benefiting organizations like Quail Unlimited, the Vincennes Education Foundation, and Hearts for Haiti. He and Nancy also traveled extensively with friends outside of the United States and cherished taking his parents to Germany to meet relatives.
John adored his daughters, and later his five grandchildren. He is survived by daughter Laura Burdick (Justin) and their children Ruth and Sarah, and daughter Kathryn Killion (David) and their children Anna, Joseph, and Caroline. Also surviving is his sister, Connie Patchett (Charlie) and his loving nieces and nephews.
John was most well-known for his generosity and good sense of humor. He was wise and typically had the best advice during difficult times. He was courageous, being the first in his family to go to college and then to graduate school. At the end of his life, he bravely tried to benefit future patients by participating in medical studies seeking better treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease.
Services were entrusted to Barkes, Weaver &Glick Funeral Home.
A Celebration of Life will be held at First United Methodist Church in Vincennes on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 2:00 PM with visitation beginning at 12:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, First United Methodist Church of Vincennes, or The Wounded Warrior Project.
Online condolences and special memories may be shared with the Mathis family and a video tribute viewed at barkesweaverglick.com.
