Lloyd Mathison

Lloyd Mathison, a faithful Soldier in the service of dear Lord Jesus Christ, was promoted to glory on Wednesday, August 8,2018. He was born in Madison, Wi., on November 25, 1936, and is predeceased by his twin brother Loren and older brother Don. He is survived by his loving family, wife, Karin (Pene), four children, David Mathison (Andrea), Diane Ellison (David), Don Mathison (Liza), Debbie Cates (Ken) and step-children, Erik Modahl (Diane), Dennis Modahl (Evelyn) and Deena Bigelow (Ted) , grandchildren Heather, Sarah, Sasha, Jayson, Melissa, Rosemary, Trevor, Brianna, Daniel, Stephanie, Christine, Joseph, Sevryn, Emmi, Daniel, Katie, Karryn, David, and 8 great grandchildren, numerous cousins and extended family and many true friends.
Lloyd joined the US Army in 1956 and served the country proudly for three years. He was so proud of his years served and unabashedly loved our country. He was a Boy Scout Leader and Captain of the "Odyssey", a Sea Scout vessel based in Tacoma, Washington. He was an encourager of children to grow and better themselves through Scout standards and talked fondly of the many sailing adventures and hiking trips they had throughout Washington state.
Living in the Northwest, Lloyd became an avid skier, pilot and sailor. For the family, Crystal Mountain was the place to ski. They had wonderful times skiing and enjoying friends they met on the sloops. He loved sharing his joy of flying and, together, with friends, owned a Cessna. Sailing then became his passion. He first crewed and then owned two sailboats "Ma Lv" and "Another Child". His competitive nature showed as he won many races in Puget Sound and Canada and "Another Child" became Tacoma Yacht Club's "Boat of the Year". His last sailboat," Morning Star" became a vehicle for escorting friends and families on jaunts around Puget Sound. Trixie, his constant companion, followed him aboard, so other 4-legged friends were always welcome.
Lloyd was a building contractor, active in the Home Builders Assn, for 36 years building custom homes and small businesses. Upon retirement he used those skills to build/direct remodeling of numerous buildings for The Salvation Army (Camp Arnold – Washington, Camp Del Oro -California, Kings Lake Camp - Alaska). It was an honor and privilege, he felt, to be invited to serve as a missionary, building schools (Congo), restoring a home for homeless (Estonia)building church and officers' building (Marshall Islands and Congo) He had a great love for The Salvation Army, their work in the communities and dedication to the betterment of humankind.
In 2007 Leisure World, Arizona gained two new residents, Lloyd and Pene. Through a love of woodworking, golf and cards (he was a great bluffer!), it wasn't long before Lloyd had many wonderful Leisure World friends.
Lloyd was an energetic and fun person to be around as his numerous friends in all walks of his life would confirm. Pene will say that the first thing that attracted her to Lloyd was his great laugh. He made her laugh just to hear him laugh. He loved the Lord and wasn't shy about it. His love for missions was apparent as he served many years as Missionary Sargent in The Salvation Army Puyallup Corps (Washington) and the Mesa Citadel Corps (Arizona).
Lloyd was an energetic and fun person. His laugh was contagious. He rose from being a foster child to a huge contributor to society and loving the Lord, his family and numerous friends. Many times, Lloyd would say how blessed he was to have the opportunities and experiences in this life and we were blessed to know and love him.
If you wish, donations may be made in Lloyd's memory and sent to The Salvation Army Mesa Citadel Corps, P.O. Box 4106, Mesa AZ 85211