Obituary of Rolland Sylvester Mather, Jr.

          (Ron) entered into eternal life on January 31, 2024. Ron was the beloved husband of Nancy (Barsh) Mather (deceased) for 66 years, devoted and adored father to Debra Ann Smith (Jordan), Margaret Karen Carmont (Michael), Nancy Stewart Ingalls (Mason), Ann Dowling Chaney (Fred), Lisa Hall Karnatz (Bill), and Amy Stewart Mather (Mike Kastelic); cherished grandfather of 18 and great-grandfather of 10. Family came first for Ron and he loved his six daughters and their families immensely. He loved everything about Notre Dame football, University of Louisville basketball, the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland sports’ teams. He was also an avid tennis player and golfer with two holes-in-one.

           Ron was born July 8, 1930 in Arkansas City, Kansas to Rolland and Marie Mather but spent most of his childhood in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended Male High School where he excelled in basketball and baseball. He attended the University of Notre Dame and the University of Louisville where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. He also played baseball for both schools and had a tryout with the storied New York Yankees. Ron served in the Air Force for two years and was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. He and Barsh lived in Bay Village, Ohio for 40 years where he worked for BF Goodrich, was an active member of St. Raphael Church and the Westside Tennis Club. They moved to Hilton Head Island in 2000 where they were members of The Country Club of Hilton Head since its inception. He leaves behind life-long friends in both places.

           A Funeral Mass will be held on March 8, 2024, 10:00 am at St. Francis By-the-Sea Catholic Church on Hilton Head Island. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in his memory to the Hospice Care of the Lowcountry of Bluffton, SC.

Livestream  https://www.facebook.com/events/1517522035759782