Larry William Mathews

Larry William Mathews, 95, of East Wenatchee, WA, passed away March 26, 2024, in Wenatchee, WA. Larry was born in Grandview, WA, on December 22, 1928 to Erick Nels and Elizabeth Mathews. Larry always spoke fondly of his childhood. He especially loved trapping mink, beavers, and muskrats with his father and accompanying him to Seattle to sell the furs. He also fished and hunted with his father for deer and game birds. Larry was a skilled marksman and it was easy for him to hit a dime as it fell through the air. As the sixth of seven children, he often recalled how loved and spoiled he felt by his mother and two oldest sisters, Opal and Claudia, his “little mothers.” He told many stories of his and his brother Walter’s escapades; Larry delighted in pranking and loved to laugh. Like many in his generation, he quit school after the tenth grade to work in order to supplement his family’s income, declaring he would rather be outside than in a stuffy schoolroom any day. He was employed as a tractor operator on a large hop ranch in the area and lived with his family on their homestead in Grandview, WA. Larry was drafted into the U.S. Army on December 15, 1950. He reported to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he completed basic training and joined Medical Company 15th Infantry Regiment. Larry met his future wife, Naomi Sinner, of Wapato, WA, on a double-blind date in the spring of 1951. Though she was Larry’s friend’s blind date, for Naomi it was love at first sight on meeting Larry. During basic training Larry hitch-hiked on the weekends from Fort Lewis to Yakima and back again to visit his sweetheart, Naomi. When Larry received orders to deploy to Korea, arrangements were made for a special marriage license to avoid the usual 3-day waiting period. Larry and Naomi were married on September 10,1951 in Yakima, WA. Larry was bussed to Camp Stoneman in California the very next day, then was deployed to Korea. Larry served overseas in Korea for 1 year and 19 days. He was Honorably Discharged on October 15, 1952. Larry was awarded the Medics Badge and the Korean Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars for his service in the Korean War. He was also awarded the United Nations Service Medal. Despite his marksmanship abilities, he chose to enter the military as a conscientious objector. Near the end of his term in Korea, however, he consented to carry a handgun for personal protection. He never talked about the injuries or deaths he witnessed on the front lines as a medic, choosing to only tell tales of mischief he and his buddies engaged in. Two weeks after Larry’s discharge from the U.S. Army, he and Naomi moved to Spokane where he attended a trade school to become a diesel mechanic while Naomi worked at an insurance firm. When Naomi quit her job because she became pregnant, the young family moved to St. John, WA. Their first daughter Julie was born in 1953 in nearby Colfax, WA. Larry worked for two years on a large wheat ranch before moving to nearby Belmont, WA, where he worked in the large pea silos at the Auvil pea splitting facility. Their second daughter Jeanne was born in Spokane, WA in 1955. In the spring of 1956 the young family relocated briefly to Western Washington before moving to Southern California. Larry was employed as an airplane mechanic for Rohr Aircraft in Chula Vista, CA for three years. During those years their third daughter Carol was born in Coronado, CA in 1957; their only son Eric was born in 1959 in National City, CA. When Eric was still an infant, the family returned to Washington State. Larry transferred to Rohr Aircraft’s Auburn, WA facility, eventually changing careers to become a maintenance specialist/electrician for Fife School District, Federal Way School District, and eventually Eastmont School District in East Wenatchee, WA. He retired after 25 years of service at Eastmont School District in 1991. He and Naomi continued to live in East Wenatchee, WA where Naomi is still residing. When Larry’s children were very young, he embraced Christianity personally and as a lifestyle, fully committed to serving God and bringing up his children to love and revere the Lord. Family members and friends describe Larry as loving, gentle, humble, kind, fun-loving, and cheerful. Larry always had a big smile on his face and a very hearty laugh, no matter what the circumstances. He looked forward every year to his annual vacation with his family, camping at the beach or in the mountains, and exploring national parks. He also loved to fish and hunt. His favorite pastime at home was tinkering in his “man cave” in the garage. Larry was always taking something apart and fixing it or creating something new from scratch. He also planted and tended a large vegetable garden for many years. After Larry retired, he built birdhouses and decorative windmills for the yard and created unique marble machines for his grandkids to play with in the garage. He also loved playing pinochle and croquet and putting puzzles together. His favorite books were the Holy Bible and western novels. Preceding Larry in death are his parents Erick Nels and Elizabeth Mathews; sisters Opal (Cecil) Church, Claudia (Robert) Bishop, Hazel McClellan, and Joy (Thomas) Boyd; and his brothers Ralph (Priscilla) Baker, and Walter (Caroline) Mathews. Larry was also preceded in death on December 1, 2023 by his great-grandson Ezekiel “Zeke” William Mathews (6 years old). Ezekiel is the son of Matt and Charlene Mathews who is the son of Eric Mathews. Surviving family members include his loving wife Naomi, daughter Julie (Joseph) Guggino and grandchildren Angela Magnotti Andrews, Michael (Jen) Magnotti, and Mark Magnotti; daughter Jeanne (Tod) Sundquist and grandchildren Katie (Tyler) Snow, Lisa Meade, and Amy (Ian) Polhemus; daughter Carol (Bob) Richards and grandchildren Joshua (Traci) Hartmann, Jordan (Tammy) Hartmann, Brianna Hartmann, and Nicholas (Jessie) Hartmann; son Eric (Jenene) Mathews and grandchildren Andy (Heather) Peterson, Matt (Charlene) Mathews, Sarah (Jesse) Allen, and Amalia Mathews. Larry is also survived by his beloved great-grandchildren, Victoria Scontrino; Orion, Zara, and Jordan Andrews; Sam and Charlotte Magnotti; Ruth and Leah Magnotti; Faustino Hartmann; Sofhia and Ahna Hartmann; Jolene Hartmann; Jonah, Claire, Lily, Scarlett, and Anna Peterson; Belle and Benny Allen; Kameron and Kira Mathews. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and their children and their children’s children. Larry wished to be cremated and buried. A graveside service with full military honors followed by a Celebration of Life at the Evergreen Memorial Park and Mausoleum in East Wenatchee, Washington, will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19, 2024. Please arrive by 12:45 p.m. Funeral arrangements for Larry William Mathews were facilitated by Heritage Memorial Chapel in East Wenatchee, WA

Larry William Mathews

December 22, 1928 - March 26, 2024