Lester Mathias Jr.

Lester Benjamin "Bench " Mathias, Jr.

December 26, 1923 - January 29, 2014

LAYTON - Lester B. Mathias, Jr. returned to the Lord Jan. 29, 2014, weeks after celebrating his 90th birthday. He passed peacefully in the company of family and friends. He was born Dec. 26, 1923 to Lester Mathias and Edna Mae Updegraff in Royalton, Penn., and married Frances Beck Sept. 26, 1942 in Greenville, S.C.

Known to his family as Pap and to his friends as Bench , h e was an elder at Kaysville Bible Church . He volunteer ed at Pioneer Bible Camp and Frontier School of the Bible. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Ogden Rescue Mission.

He served in the Army Air Force from 1943 to 1945 as an aircraft mechanic and flight engineer at Hondo Army Air Field, Texas.

Bench loved to hunt and fish and to study scripture and pray. Verses that shaped his relationship with God were Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10, 10:13, and 12:1-2. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," Psalm 116:15.

Pap was predeceased by his wife Frances, his daughter Diane Muth, his son Edward Mathias, his sister Marie Condran, and his brother Charles Mathias.

He is survived by his brother Robert (Margo) Mathias, his son Lester "Skip" Mathias III, his daughters Carolyn Naylor, Barbara (Steve) Fry, Clare Mathias, and his daughter-in-law Bonnie (Court) Longbrook. Also surviving are his grandchildren Morgan Muth, Matthew (Melanie) Naylor, Michael Naylor, Edward (Elizabeth) Mathias Jr., Melissa (Robert) Alles, Charles (Connie) Mathias, John (Keri) Mathias, and Rebecca (Dave) Barlow. Surviving as well are his great-grandchildren Andrew, Abreanna, Kaleb, Skyler, Katelyn, Sydney, Hannah, Anjali, Asha, Elijah, Diya, Lillian, and Marcus. He loved and was loved by his extended family, nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews, and countless friends.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations to Kaysville Bible Church's Missions Fund, Pioneer Bible Camp, or the Ogden Rescue Mission.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 at 11 a.m. at Kaysville Bible Church, 181 N. Flint St., Kaysville, Utah, where friends may also visit Bench beginning at 9 a.m.to 10:45 a.m. at the church.

Interment, Kaysville City Cemetery, Kaysville, Utah .

Services entrusted to Lindquist’s Layton Mortuary, 1867 No. Fairfield Road, Layton, Utah.