Wayne Raymond Mathis

Ret. Lt. Wayne Raymond Mathis, 72, of Homerville passed away Monday morning, February 19, 2024, at his residence surrounded by his family after an extended illness. He was born in Lanier County, GA to the late Raymond Chandler Mathis and Myrtle Ruth Trowell Mathis. Mr. Mathis was a 1970 graduate of Clinch County High School and attended Valdosta Technical School. He served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police for two years in Germany. On December 6, 1971, he began working at the Waycross Fire Department and after forty years of service retired on March 29, 2012, as a Lieutenant. He loved catching wild hogs, hunting, fishing, and being outdoors.

Along with his parents he was preceded in death by an infant son, Wayne Raymond Mathis, Jr.; maternal grandparents, Henry Lawrence Trowell and Rosa Lee Browning Trowell; paternal grandparents, Coy Mathis and Minnie Lee Tomlinson Mathis; sister-in-law, Teresa Smith; two brothers-in-law, J.L. Smith and Carlton Stalvey; two nephews, Johnny Westmoreland and Jamie Smith.              

Survivors include his wife of fifty-three years, Leila Belle Smith Mathis; two children, Dawn (Billy) Rice and Chandler Wayne “Chad” Mathis, three grandchildren, Payton Rice, Channing Rice, and Lily Chandler Mathis all of Homerville;  two sisters, Debbie Bennett of Homerville and Carolyn (Mike) Young of Texas; two sisters-in-law, Ruby Dell (Jerry) Deese and Ruthell Stalvey of Homerville; one brother-in-law, Vernell Smith of Homerville; nieces and nephews, Bryan Bennett, Alexis Lantz, Blake Young, Halie Young, Clint Young, Brooklynne Young, Breanna Young, Savannah Young, Lorraine Burkhalter, Dewayne Stalvey, Jeffrey Stalvey, Terry Stalvey, Derrek Smith, Jessica Moten, and Shannon Smith.

A funeral service will be held Thursday afternoon, February 22, 2024, at 4 pm at Arabia Primitive Baptist Church, 232 Arabia Church Rd., Homerville, GA 31634. Burial with Fireman’s Honors will follow in Arabia Cemetery.

The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 6 until 8 pm at Roundtree Funeral Home.

Sympathy may be expressed online at www.roundtreefuneralhome.net

Roundtree Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.