Shirley Jean Mathys, age 82, of Edgerton, Ohio, passed away at 7:00 A.M. on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at Evergreen Manor, Montpelier, Ohio, where she was a resident, with her family at her side. Mrs. Mathys was a Life Member of the Edgerton American Legion Auxiliary and served as President for more than twenty years.
She began serving on the Edgerton Homecoming Committee in 1976 and continued for many years. She was also a founding member and instrumental in setting up the Edgerton Senior Center and was a longtime advocate for the less privileged in Williams County, promoting the availability of food stamps and hygiene products to met their needs.
Her other memberships included Order of the Eastern Star, Moosehart, and Ladies AMD (Allied Masonic Degrees). Mrs. Mathys held many occupations over the years, including working at Jet Drive-In in Havelock, North Carolina; cooking at Dolly’s, Pence’s and Laubach Nursing Home in Edgerton; and baby-sitting in Edgerton.
Her former employers also included Edgerton Super Valu and the former canning/basket factory in Edgerton. An avid bowler, she won many trophies and was Shirley Muldowney before there was a Shirley Muldowney, racing on the dirt track at Bryan Motor Speedway, Bryan, Ohio.
She and her husband, Dale, loved to travel and traveled the world together. She also loved to play BINGO and was an avid fan of The Ohio State Buckeyes.
Shirley Jean Mathys was born on May 14, 1939, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the daughter of Doris (Miller) Guillaume. She married Dale A. Mathys on May 13, 1956, in Edon, Ohio, and he preceded her in death on March 5, 2019.
Surviving are three daughters, Candy Jean (Kenneth) DeRoche, Tammy Ann (Dennis) Davis, and Dalene Anette (Larry Kammeyer) Mathys; four grandchildren, Dale E. (Alicia) Davis, Kylee Ann (Nathan) Vasquez, Dustin A. (Jill) DeRoche, and Kenneth G. (Debbie) DeRoche; fifteen great-grandchildren, who knew her as “Sweetie Pie;” and her beloved dog, Hyde.
Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband; one brother, Jim Guillaume; and one great-granddaughter, Alyssa Michael DeRoche.
An open house celebrating the life of Shirley Jean Mathys will be held on Monday, July 12, 2021, from 2:00-4:00 P.M. in the Mathys home at 148 West Indiana Street in Edgerton. Dale and Shirley will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Memorials are requested to Edgerton Area Foundation or the Vietnam Memorial.
