Jack Mathews

John (Jack) Thomas Mathews, 67, of Cary, NC passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born September 16, 1943 in Kankakee, Illinois to John Phillip Mathews and Dorothy Ann Fortin Mathews. Jack passed away after a courageous and hard fought battle with cancer.

He grew up in Bradley, IL and graduated from Bishop MacNamara High School in Kankakee, IL. He attended Bradley University in Peoria, IL where he received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and a M.S. in Computer Science. After graduation he went to work for IBM as a Systems Engineer in Peoria, IL, later moving to Chicago, IL in marketing, then to Raleigh, NC and Cincinnati, OH to be a part of Store Systems. In 1981 Jack returned to Cary, NC to manage the Remarketers Division for IBM. After retiring from IBM in 1991, Jack went to work for Post Software International in Wake Forest, NC which later became Fujitsu. Jack retired as Director of Software and Professional Services in 2004.

Jack’s family was the most cherished thing in his life and he leaves with them a legacy of courage, love, faith, gentle nature, positive attitude and passion for life. Jack’s strong faith and love was an ever present gift he gave to his family and friends. His love for golf, the outdoors, cooking and travel was evident to all who knew him. MaPa, Grandpa and Popop was loved dearly by his grandchildren and his legacy will always be a part of our lives.

Jack is survived by his wife of 41 years, Carol; his mother, Dorothy Mathews Casino of Cary; his daughter, Kristen Mathews Styers and husband, Kevin of Apex; his son, John Lawrence Mathews and wife, Tonya of Cary; his grandchildren, Logan LeeAnn Styers and Addison Christine Styers of Apex and John Cooper Mathews of Cary. He is also survived by his brother, Steven Paul Mathews and wife, Jo Ann of Ocean Isle Beach, NC; nephew, Jeffrey Mathews of San Francisco, CA; nephew, Steven Mathews and wife, Meghan of Seattle, WA and their three sons, Jackson, Jefferson and Harrison Mathews. Jack is also survived by a large extended family still living in Bradley and Kankakee, IL.

Jack was preceded in passing by his father, John Phillip Mathews.

The family would like to express their appreciation to the doctors and nurses at the Cancer Center of North Carolina for the wonderful care they provided throughout Jack’s illness. They would also like to thank Hospice of Wake County for their compassionate support and gentle care.

The family will receive friends and family at Brown Wynne Funeral Home at 200 SE Maynard Rd, Cary, NC from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 21, 2010.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church at 3008 Old Raleigh Rd, Apex, NC at 11:00 am, Monday, November 22, 2010.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in Jack’s memory to be made to Hospice of Wake County at 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607 or Cornucopia Cancer Support Center, 5517 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd, Suite 1000, Durham, NC 27717.

Condolences may be sent through www.brownwynnecary.com.

JFDI