John Donald Mathewson, age 94, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of July 4, 2022, in Bradenton, Florida.
John was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and passionate follower of Christ. He was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, as the only child of John Donald Mathewson, Sr. and Virginia Rose (Roth) Mathewson. Upon graduating high school, John served in the Navy during WWII. After his years of military service, he attended college on the GI Bill and excelled as an athlete in track events and as a triple-threat quarterback. To honor his athletic accomplishments, he was inducted into the Dickinson College Hall of Fame in 1989. At age 55, John began competing in the Senior Games in tennis, golf and track and field events, winning multiple gold medals in both Pennsylvania and Florida. Race-walking was his specialty. John and Linda (Kremzier) Weaver were married on April 9, 1988, becoming a blended family with John’s daughter, Wendy, son, Jeff and Linda’s two daughters, Lori and Holly.
John had a lengthy and very successful career in sales management with Allstate Insurance Company, primarily in the New England region. Sensing a mutual call to ministry, John and Linda transitioned from corporate management positions to serving as missionaries in one of the adult ministries of CRU/Campus Crusade for Christ. While based state-side in the Philadelphia and Sarasota/Bradenton areas, his faithful devotion to spreading the Gospel led him to eleven other countries across the globe. In his lifetime, he was privileged to introduce over 1,500 men to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He will be sincerely missed by his family, friends and community. He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Linda Mathewson; daughter, Wendy Casterline and husband, Bob; son, Jeff Mathewson and wife, Jacci; step-daughter, Lori Barnes and husband, Chris; step-daughter, Holly Weaver; 5 grandchildren, Katie Mathewson Lackey (wife of Andrew); Kelly Mathewson Burch (wife of Wesley); Caroline Barnes, Lindsay Barnes and Connor Barnes.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00 AM, Monday, July 11, 2022, at Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory 26th Street Chapel, 5624 26th Street W., Bradenton, FL. The service will also be live streamed on Facebook. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes can be directed to SamaritansPurse.org.
Condolences may be made to www.brownandsonsfuneral.com.
