James Michael Mathews |
| Posted 2018-05-08 by mhenderson |
| Today's News-Herald, Lake Havasu City, AZ - Posted on Sunday, May 6, 2018 >> JAMES MICHAEL MATHEWS << James "Jim" Mathews passed away suddenly on Saturday, April 28th 2018 at the age of 66. He is being lovingly remembered by friends, family, and broadcasting colleagues as a great and loyal friend and mentor defined by his generosity of spirt, his kindness, and his strong ties to the community. Jim was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania on July 3rd, 1951 and grew up in Mansfield, Ohio. His life in broadcasting began in high school at WVNO-FM. In 1969, he was the first person to bring audio equipment into a meeting of the Mansfield City Council. The city wasn't quite ready for electronic media and they politely asked him to leave. Shortly thereafter, Jim joined the armed services as a member of the Air Force. Following boot camp, he was trained as an aircraft technician and worked on a variety of planes including the B-52 at bases all over the world. But, he soon found his way back on the air serving at the American Forces Radio & Television outlet in Da Nang, Vietnam as well as at American Forces Radio stations in Taiwan and Korea. Following the war, Jim began his journalism career in Altoona, PA at WTAJ-TV where he was quickly promoted to anchor at sister station WBNG in Binghamton, NY. There Jim started a family and had children Jason and Travis in the early 1980s. In 1990, Jim and his family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona where he anchored locally for 'Channel Ten' news and worked as a reporter and anchor for several radio stations including KTAR and KFYI. In later years, Jim relocated to Lake Havasu City, AZ. There he donated much of his time to charitable endeavors and continued his passion for local news through his "Havasu Video News" site. Jim is survived by his 2 sons Jason and Travis, his mother Marylou Mathews, siblings Daniel, Lynne (husband Christopher), Laurie (husband David) Thomas (wife Roxanne), Teresa, and Paul, as well as 9 nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father Samuel, step-mother Nina, sister Kathleen, and brother Wayne. A rosary prayer service will be held at Our Lady of the Lake Church - 1975 Daytona Ave, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 - on May 12, 2018 at 12:30 PM. A memorial service and reception will follow beginning at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to any local Lake Havasu City charity in his honor. We're inviting everyone to visit Jim's memorial website to share photos and stories of his life at www.forevermissed.com/jamesmathews |
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