Dr. Phil Anthony Mathias

MACON- Phil Anthony Mathias, MD, passed away on Good Friday, April 18, 2014, at Pine Pointe Hospice in Macon. A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. at Perry United Methodist Church in Perry. Visitation will be held on Monday, April 21, 2014, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Watson-Hunt Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests contributions in memory of Dr. Mathias and in honor of his grandson, Charles Chapman "Chappy" Bailey.to Middle Georgia Down Syndrome Society, P. O. Box 1606, Macon, Georgia 31202. Phil was born on July 29, 1941, in Waterloo, Iowa. He was the only child of the late Joseph Antone Mathias and Henrietta Mathias Miller. He moved to Twin Falls Idaho at the age of 14, and graduated from Twin Falls High School as a member of the National Honor Society. He earned his undergraduate degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Phil graduated from the University of Oregon School of Medicine in 1968. He conducted research that was both published and instrumental in progressing Leukemia research. He was accepted to the U.S. Army residency program, and he proudly served our country for 11 years. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. He was a surgeon during the Vietnam War, and was Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Fort Benning. He was honorably discharged as a Lt. Colonel with a pending promotion to Colonel that he declined as he ultimately chose medicine over a promising military career. Dr. Mathias delivered over 5,000 babies through the years. He was licensed in Oregon, Washington, Iowa, and Georgia. During his career, he was an accomplished educator, a clinical instructor at Emory Hospital. As Director and Chief of the Residency Program in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, his 15 Family Practice Residents ranked in the top 15 on their boards and, as a result, he was awarded Educator of the Year by the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Mathias enjoyed a very busy private practice in Americus, Georgia, and finally retired after operating a successful practice for years in Perry, Georgia. Upon retirement, he spent his time with his family. Dr. Mathias demonstrated as a doctor, a husband, a father, and a grandfather that love is the greatest medicine. Left to cherish the memories of Phil are his loving and devoted wife of 36 years, Carol Chapman Mathias of Macon; his children, Jill Mathias Morgan (Eli) of San Diego, California, Angela Mathias Bolger of Bellingham, Washington, and Rosemary Mathias Bailey (Palmer) of Macon; his step-children, Tamara Palm, Heidi Cabbes, Matthew Greer (Estelle) of Douglas, and Nathan Greer (Emily) of Macon; and nine grandchildren. Friends are invited to leave condolences for the family in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.

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Dr. Phil Anthony Mathias

July 29, 1941 - April 18, 2014