Obituary of Henry Earl Mathis

Obituary of Henry Mathis Henry Earl Mathis was born December 30th 1947 to the parentage of Steve Mathis Sr. and Luella Robertson Mathis. He was the second youngest child born to this union. He was raised in Dallas, TX. He received Christ at an early age and was member of Good Street Baptist Church his entire life. He developed a strong work ethic very early in his life assisting his father with cleaning jobs. He also was very involved in the Civil Rights Movement and NAACP. He traveled around the United States participating in various sit ins, marches, and demonstrations. Due to his commitment to service, he was one of the first African Americans named Top Teen in Dallas by the Dallas Times Herald. He graduated from Booker T. Washington in 1966. He went on to pursue further education at El Centro, University of Texas of Arlington, and Amber University. During his time at University of Texas at Arlington, he was one of the founding members of the Zeta Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He eventually completed a Bachelors in Business at Amber University. In 1973, he met and married the love of his life Graciela Velez. To this union, 3 daughters (Regla, Dee, and Henriette) were born. His middle daughter, Dee, preceded him in death. He went on to have a career as a Banker/Financial Analyst; becoming one of the first African American banking professionals in Dallas. He retired from his career in 2011. However, while he could, he continued to stay involved in his church community. He served as a member of the Credit Union Board and as a Deacon. He was called from Labor to Reward on August 2nd, 2016. Along with his daughter, he was preceded in death by his parents, brothers (Charles, John, Willie, Perno, Ervin, Steve Jr), and sisters (Louise Houston and Amanda Tatum). He leaves to cherish his wife of over 42 years, Graciela Mathis. His children Regla Mathis and Dr. Henriette Mathis of Dallas. His brother Alphonso Mathis and sister Juanita Brown. He also leaves a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins who will miss him dearly.