Willie Calvin Mathes

Published 3:29 pm Wednesday, September 4, 2024

On Monday, September 2, 2024, Willie Calvin Mathes (age 75) crossed over Jordan just beyond that Crystal Sea to live and praise Jesus Christ forevermore. A native and lifelong resident of Central Community, Carter County, Tenn., he was born to James B. Mathes and Mary M. Byers Mathes on July 6, 1949, who preceded him in death.

The family left to cherish him is his wife of 55 years, Nancy Shepherd Mathes; two sons, Chris W. Mathes (Melissa) and Tim Mathes (Robin); three grandsons, CJ Mathes, Noah Mathes and Levi Sutton (step); four granddaughters, Mia Mathes, Emma Mathes, Rebecca Robles and Regan Sutton (step); three great-grandchildren, Liam, Milo and Ivey; one brother, Jackie J. Mathes; three sisters-in-law, Nancy Sue Mathes, Carolyn Gentry and Wanda Pierce; nieces and nephews, Angie Trent, Marie Proffitt, Jamie Mathes and Becky Mathes; and many cousins.

Also left to cherish his memory are many special friends at Pinecrest Baptist Church, Valley Forge Freewill Baptist Church, Pleasant Beach Baptist Church, Powder Branch Baptist Church, Biltmore Baptist Church and Central Baptist Church of Johnson City.

Willie was a member of Pinecrest Baptist Church where he served as the sound tech, security officer and on the building staff. He was a proud member of the 1967 graduating class of Happy Valley High School. He grew up in Central Community where he loved playing football, basketball and baseball throughout his school years. Willie and his brother Jackie grew up in a loving Christian home where music was often sung and played by his parents, family and friends. Music was in their blood, and he soon found himself playing in various bands and touring the East Tennessee region wherever they could gather an audience and sometimes even get paid.

He was an original member of the Southern Kings Band, made up of Marlow Tackett, Gary White, Emory Cordell, Earnie Peters and Willie. In 1972, the band would go on to win the very first “Battle of the Bands” held in Elizabethton. This group would later transition with the changing of band members adding John Matheson, Jim Matheson, Dennis Bradley, Chuck Boyer and Ronnie Campbell as well as others and that group would become the house band at Hillbilly World in Hampton.  

It was with this country group that God began working and shaping their lives and as a result of their deep roots, values and Christian upbringing, the popular Southern Gospel Quartet, “The Brotherhood Quartet,” was formed. Along with Dennis Bradley, John and Jim Matheson, Ronnie Campbell, Earnie Peters, Guy Wilson and Willie Mathes, the original Brotherhood Quartet would begin a journey of traveling throughout the south, spreading God’s word through song and testimony. Willie loved to sing lead or the bass part in a quartet, and often played bass guitar, rhythm guitar or on occasion, keyboard.

Over the years Willie had many hobbies and would become very competitive at almost anything he wanted to do. He became an excellent golfer and loved his buddies at the Elizabethton Golf Course. He was an avid off-road motorcyclist, deer, bird, turkey and squirrel hunter, fisherman, and for years was an award-winning archer. Like his father, he was a millwright mechanic, iron worker and master carpenter by trade and could literally build or fix almost anything. He loved helping people who needed help. It was common on weekends or after work, to find him working on someone’s car, doing a brake job, painting a car or helping with a house remodel just to help a friend. Willie loved working with kids and being involved in his son’s lives. He served as a boxing coach with Cob Riddle. From 1983 to 1987, he coached Elizabethton/Carter County Babe Ruth Baseball and Allstar traveling teams. He was Cub Scout Troop Leader and often played Santa Claus whenever called upon. He was part of the Johnson City Citizens Police Academy and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Police Academy. 

He worked as a manager and foreman for many years for his great friend William Householder at Nuclear Containers but would ultimately retire in 1999 from Fluor Daniels Construction at Tennessee Eastman where he served as crew foreman. Willie could not stay retired, as he would begin a new career serving others. In 2002 he was elected as Constable in the 3rd District of Carter County where he served two terms and was instrumental in starting multiple neighborhood watch programs throughout the county. Willie served in law enforcement from 2002 to 2010 as a Carter County Constable, from 2010 to 2014 as maintenance and as a reserve sheriff’s deputy at the Carter Sheriff’s Office and from 2014 to 2018 as a Reserve Police Officer for the Bluff City Police Department. For nearly 10 years he served as a volunteer member of the Central Volunteer Fire Department.

He later served in security at Central Baptist Church Preschool at Central Baptist Church, at Townview Senior Living Center in Johnson City and at his beloved home church. He was a staunch Republican and worked elections as a pole worker for many candidates for over 30 years. Winning Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Donald Trump and his son Chris to the Office of Carter County Sheriff in 2006 and in 2010 were among his greatest election campaigning victories.

Nobody ever lived that loved their family more than Willie Mathes loved his family. Every day, and without pause, not only did he tell his wife and sons that he loved them, he showed them in everything that he did. His grandchildren were the loves of his life. Foremost, Willie Mathes wanted everyone to know that he loved the Lord God and his son Jesus Christ with all of his heart and encouraged all to believe in him.

Receiving of friends will be held on Saturday, September 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton. The service is to follow at 1:15 p.m. with Rev. Gary Edwards officiating. The graveside service will take place at the Patton Simmons Cemetery, Toll Branch Road, Johnson City, immediately following the service on Saturday, September 7, at 3:30 p.m.  Those wishing to attend the graveside service are asked to meet at the cemetery at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. Active pallbearers will be CJ Mathes, Noah Mathes, Jamie Mathes, Richard Barnett, Eric Buck, Greg Depew, Chad Harvey and Tom Smith. Honorary pallbearers are Jarvis Bennett, Ansley Bishop, Eddie Blackwell, Scotty Bunton, Mark Carrier, Eddie Carver, Rev. Ronnie Campbell, Vaughn “Junior” Campbell, Larry Creed, John Cyphers, Jeff Cyphers, Don Clark, Rocky Croy, Roger Deal, Rev. Earnie Depew, Len Dugger, Harmon Duncan, Rusty Edens, Rick Garrison, Kenny Gouge, Mark Gray, Jim Greene, Jeff Guinn, Matt Gupton, Ronnie Hall, Lynn Holland, Nick Holtsclaw, Tim Horne, Lee Hubbard, Lewis Hulse, Rev. Randy Johnson, Rev. Rex Johnson, Tony Jones, Jay Kyte, Jim Lewis, Larry Loving, John Lowry, Scott Lowry, Keith Lyons, Marvin Lyons, Fred Malone, Mike Matheson, Mick Matheson, Jim McGee, Mitch Perry, Donnie Peters, Rev. Mark Potter, Dean Proffitt, Jerry Proffitt, Joe Ramsey, Frank Rogers, Greg Rustin, David Sams, Roscoe Sams, Matt Simerly, Jeff Sharpe, Ron Street, Rev. Bobby Stout, Mark Tipton, Joey Trent, Bill Turbyfield, Robert Turbyfill, Darrell Turbyfill, Karl Turner, Jeff Underwood, Charles Von Cannon, Howard Walker, Scott Whaley, Woody Whisenhunt, Brandon Whitehead, Carson Whitehead, Vince Whitehead, John Whitson, Frank Williams, Richard Workman, members of Central Volunteer Fire Department, Bluff City Police Department and Carter County Constables. The family would like to express their gratitude to Dr. Michael Mabry, Dr. Ahmen Kahn, CEO Melanie Stanton and the staff at Franklin Woods Hospital, and the staff at Vanderbilt Heart Hospital for their compassionate care throughout the medical journey with Willie, and the dear friends who lifted us up in prayer along this pathway. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in honor of Willie Mathes to the Central Volunteer Fire Department, 215 Hopson Road, Johnson City, TN 37601 or at the request of friends requesting to offer other assistance, offerings made toward funeral expenses can be sent to the family or directly to Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton, in the name of Willie Mathes. Words of comfort can be sent to the Mathes family through our website, www.tetrickfuneralhome.com.

Tetrick Funeral Home, Riverside Chapel, 211 North Riverside, Elizabethton, TN 37643 (423) 542-2232 is honored to serve the family of Mr. Willie C. Mathes.