Donald William Mathews

Donald Mathews passed peacefully at age 93 with family by his side. He will be profoundly missed. Don graduated from UC Berkeley in 1953 and was commissioned into the US Navy. That same year he married musician Lou Young from Hollister, CA. Married 65 years, they raised 3 daughters, Robin, Carol, and Jennifer. A career Naval Aviator, Don flew long-range patrol planes, attended the Naval Postgraduate School and Stanford University for graduate degrees in aeronautical engineering, and served on the USS Yorktown during the Vietnam War. He joined the Postgraduate School administration, and retired as a Captain in 1975, with commendations. He and Lou began traveling the world together, visiting over a dozen countries as well as spending many vacations camping with their extended family. Don went back to school to study fine arts at Monterey Peninsula College and San Jose State University, where he earned his BA and MA. He taught at Monterey and Hartnell Colleges and was actively involved in Monterey Peninsula art communities. His interest and experience in psychology, creativity and spirituality led him to establish “The Creative Edge: The Way Of The Arts,” a CA non-profit that continues today. He hosted many programs by creative professionals from around the world. As a workshop leader, he facilitated both visual art and dreamwork programs. He expressed his own creativity through painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture, writing and poetry. His sculptures won CA State Fair prizes, and several are in permanent museum collections. In addition, he was instrumental in building a public labyrinth and he published a book of poetry in 2011. After moving to Forest Hill Senior Living, he became editor of their newsletter and served on the Board. He is best remembered by his family and friends as someone who loved to dive deep into conversations with thought-provoking encouragement, always intensely listening and sharing. He was a lover of good food, and especially appreciated Lou’s skill as a chef. A celebration of Don’s life will be held Sunday April 7th at 4:00 pm at the Community Church of the Monterey Peninsula, 4590 Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel CA 93923. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Don’s name to: The Creative Edge www.creative-edge.org 8822 Swallow Way, Fair Oaks CA 95628