Rickey Matthews

Funeral services for Rickey Matthews will be held at Elm Tree Baptist Church located at 1390 East Crafton Street in Tahlequah, OK with Pastor DJ McCarter officiating, on Friday, June 12, 2020 at noon. His visitation will be held at Reed-Culver Funeral Home on Thursday, June 11, 2020, beginning at 2:00 PM until 7:00 PM. Rick will be laid to rest at Fort Gibson National Cemetery with honors at 2:00 PM on Friday, June 12, 2020. Online condolences for his family may be left at www.reedculver.com.

Rickey Matthews was born on Thursday, December 11, 1952, in Tulsa, OK, the son of John C. and Ruby (McCarty) Matthews and biological son of Joe D. Isaac and Frances Hickman. He had a brother Johnny Matthews, one half-brother Richard, and four half-sisters, Velma, Mary, Angel, and Peggy. He met and married his sweetheart, Velda Sue Gourd, on September 23, 1972 in Tahlequah, OK. Together they would raise a family of two sons Arlo and Joshua, and two daughters, Angela and Jessica.

Rick attended and graduated Will Rogers High School then attended Oklahoma State Technical College and later joined the United States Air Force, serving honorably from 1972 until 1977 at Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, Alaska. His field of specialty was in Electrical engineering, this served him well in his civilian occupation as an Electronics Technician at the Tulsa International Airport. Rick obtained several degrees, including a Theology Degree from the International Bible College in San Antonio, TX and had acquired well over 300 college credit hours. Rick was passionate about life, and his thirst for knowledge fueled his desire to learn more about the Bible, people and the world around him. Rick loved learning so much that he was still enrolled in College at age 66.

Rick’s interests were working out at the gym, playing pool, watching his favorite football team (OU Sooners), supporting his children in the marching band and sports activities, as well as reading and studying the bible daily. Rick was proud of his Mississippi Choctaw heritage and loved to sing traditional gospel hymns in the Choctaw and Cherokee languages. He was a Christian by faith and served His Lord by preaching the Gospel and teaching wherever he was invited to speak. He was a Sunday School teacher at Elm Tree Baptist church (Tahlequah), enjoyed mentoring young people, and was a friend who truly cared. He had a gift for imparting wisdom by way of his life stories and through scriptures. He cherished the time spent with his family and friends and went out of his way to create special memories with them. Rick knew no strangers and extended a warm welcome to anyone that shook his hand.

Rick was kind, a hard worker, generous, compassionate, selfless, and he was always there when you needed him most. The Lord called this loving, kind servant home to his eternal rest on Friday, June 5, 2020, at his home surrounded by those that loved him most. He was 67 years old and will be greatly missed.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Bill and Josephine Matthews, his biological and his adopted parents, one son, Joshua Matthews, one brother, Johnny Lee Matthews, and two beloved aunts, Juanita and Louise McCarty.

Those left to cherish his memory includes his beloved wife of 47 years, Velda Sue (Gourd) Matthews of the home in Hulbert, OK, his children, Arlo Matthews and wife Lynette of Tahlequah, OK, Angela Jacobs and husband Jonathan of Philadelphia, PA, and Jessica Matthews of Hulbert, OK. He leaves a half-brother, Richard Aguilar of San Francisco, CA, and four half-sisters, Velma Lovato of Phoenix, AZ, Mary Aguilar of Arizona, Angel Uhl of Meridian, MS, and Peggy Willis of Philadelphia, MS. He lives on in his three wonderful grand-daughters, Cheyenne Jacobs, Tyanna Jacobs and Keilah Matthews, and one special great grandchild, Ariana Stevens, as well as, many nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.