Lawrence Odell "Larry" Mathis
Oct 3, 1923 -
Dec 12, 2015
Lawrence Odell Mathis passed away on Dec. 12, 2015, at home in Los Angeles, Calif., surrounded by his family. He was born on Oct. 3, 1923, in Plemons, Texas, to Pearl Fletcher Mathis and Morton Graham Mathis. Mathis lived in Amarillo from the age of 3 until 1942, when, after completing one year at Amarillo Junior College, he received an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy. In 1943, he was transferred to the V-5 Naval Aviation Cadet program where he learned to fly.
After his release to inactive duty in 1946 at the end of World War II, he attended the University of Colorado and received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 1949. From 1949 to 1952, he was employed by the Inter American Geodetic Survey in Central and South America. While working in Chile, he met his future wife, Vylna Rosado Rahausen. They were married in Santa Fe, N.M., after his return to the States. From 1953 to 1957, he worked for several consulting engineering firms in the Denver, Colo., area. In 1957, he went to work for the Martin Marietta Corporation as a senior engineer, eventually becoming Chief Engineer for Martin's Facilities Department at its Waterton aerospace plant. Attending night school, he received a Masters of Science in civil engineering from the University of Colorado in 1961.
After resigning his position at Martin Marietta in 1969, Mathis moved the family to Anchorage, Alaska, to start his own consulting engineering firm, Pan American Consulting Engineers. Over the course of 37 years, the firm had principal responsibility for structural engineering or for construction oversight of many public school projects in the bush as well as landmarks in the greater Anchorage area including: two Alaska USA Federal Credit Union buildings; the Alaska Mutual Bank building; the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts; the West High School science wing; the Anchorage Westward Hilton addition; the Alyeska Prince Hotel, the Pratt Museum, the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum for Art and Cultural History. Mathis had a long history as a consultant for the Cook Inlet Regional Corporation and its affiliates serving as the Owner's Representative on the CIRI C Street Building, and the Alaska Native Primary Care Center for the Southcentral Foundation.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Mathis was a Registered Professional Engineer in Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and maintained an active registration in Alaska. He was a Senior Active Member of the Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.
From earliest childhood, Mathis was an avid outdoorsman and hunter, earning him the nickname of "Trapper." During his lifetime, he hunted in Texas, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, Alaska, Panama, Ecuador, Chile, and in Botswana and Namibia in Africa. He was a Life Member of the National Rifle Association and of the Safari Club International. After moving to Alaska, he took up flying in earnest, owning and flying many bush planes. His favorite was his last plane, a vintage Cessna180 on floats. He remained an active pilot into his 80s, selling it shortly before leaving Alaska in 2014. He was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and of the Alaska Airmen's Association.
Mathis is survived by his daughter, Shawn; son, Thane; daughter, Vicky; son, Stuart; daughter, Julie; 10 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
On Saturday, Sept.14, 2024, Julie Piatt and Vicky Curtis will be hosting an afternoon lunch celebrating both their parents' lives. Please RSVP to vicky@curtis-company.com or call 310-720-6144 to get details of the location and time.
