Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 16, 1990 TAG: 9007160134
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Mattern, a founding partner of the architectural and engineering firm Hayes Seay Mattern & Mattern Inc., was born in Washington, D.C., raised in Ft. Myers, Fla., and graduated from Georgia Tech. He came to Roanoke in 1937 to install a sewer system on Williamson Road. When the job was done, he decided to stay.
After serving as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, Mattern founded the engineering firm Mattern and Mattern. The firm became Hayes Seay Mattern & Mattern in 1953. With 360 employees, it is the largest architectural and engineering firm in Western Virginia and one of the largest in the state.
Mattern was a former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Colonial American National Bank and a former executive vice president of Roanoke Valley Cablevision. He also was founder and former president of North Cross School.
He was chairman of the Western Virginia Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, the organization that raised several million dollars to construct Center in the Square. In recognition of his years of public service, he was inducted into the Junior Achievement Roanoke Valley Business Hall of Fame in 1979.
Mattern was a member of many professional and social organizations. He was president of Roanoke's Shenandoah Club for five years.
Among his survivors are his wife, Nelle Tucker Mattern; a daughter and son-in-law, Martha and Ralph Harvey of Wichita Falls, Texas; a daughter-in-law, Deborah Newman Mattern of Roanoke; a brother and sister-in-law, Guilford and Ruby Mattern of Salem; and three granchildren.
The funeral will be at noon today at South Roanoke United Methodist Church. Oakey's Roanoke Chapel is handling the arrangements.
The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Center in the Square or to a charity.
by CNB