Robert Clifford Matteson Sr.

Robert Clifford Matteson Sr., of Arlington, Texas, passed away on Monday, June 24, 2024 at the age of 102.

Robert was born in Foreman, AR, and worked on his family farm. After hearing FDR’s Day of Infamy Speech, he enlisted in the Army Air Forces, where he became a B25 pilot. Robert was stationed on the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific and later on Ascension Island in the Atlantic. 

He graduated from Louisiana State University and moved to Pasadena, CA, to continue his graduate studies at the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Lab. 

In 1949, he moved to Fort Worth, TX, and met his future wife, Jane, at All Saints Church. Jane and Bob raised four children and were married for 70 years until her death in 2021. He worked for General Dynamics as an aeronautical engineer and subject matter expert in propulsion, which took him on many travels, including Europe and Israel. 

A lover of the outdoors was an avid hunter, golfer, and gardener. He developed various hobbies over the years, such as building his own transistor radios, then stereos, making his own ammunition for hunting, jewelry making, and cooking with his wife, Jane. Robert was a loyal sports fan and had a special love for baseball and the Texas Rangers. He was always curious and never lost his desire to learn new things. After his eyesight started to diminish, every Saturday, a wonderful friend would read to him everything from Shakespeare to Ancient Civilization and World History. 

He was a true gentleman who was gracious to everyone he encountered. He loved his family and friends, had strong faith, and lived a life of gratitude.  

He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 yrs.  Jane Dowlen Matteson, parents, Sylvester and Mildred Matteson, and his four siblings, including a twin brother. 

He is survived by his four children, Elizabeth Ann Porter, Martha Jane Matteson, Robert Clifford Matteson Jr., and Mary Ragsdale Barakat, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and two nephews.

A memorial service will be held on July 13, 2024, at 11:00 am at All Saints Church-Crestline, 5001 Crestline Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76107