Kay Mathews

Name:

First	Middle	Last	Married Name

Paid

Deceased:

Yes No

Date of Information:

Marital Status:

Married Single Divorced Separated Widow(er)

Spouse:

Children (Names):

No. of Grandchildren:

Birthday:

Address:

City:

State:

Country:

Zip:

Telephone:

E-Mail:

Occupation:

Employed By:

Friend/Family member:

Comments:

August 28, 1943 - February 17, 2026

Bobbie Kay Mathews passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in Cornelius, NC, surrounded by the love and prayers of her family, at the age of 82.

She was a very loving and devoted mother to five children, who will miss her deeply. She was known for her sweet disposition and strong belief in God. Kay loved to laugh and was quick to share funny stories. Those who knew Kay always commented on her naturally sweet and warm nature and her kind eyes. She had many friends and even in later years, she offered her tremendous wisdom, guidance, and heart to others-- particularly other women. She was well-known by friends and family for her strength and kind support in her hometown of Lexington, SC. Many of her friends referred to her as “Yoda,” as she dedicated her later life in service of helping others, offering them the benefit of her wisdom.

A pleasant soul with a generous heart, she loved animals, laughter, family gatherings, and silly voices. She never forgot a birthday and loved sending sweet cards to everyone in her life. Kay was also extremely creative--a skilled artist in both making beaded jewelry and interior design. She was very spiritual and was a member of Unity Church in Columbia, SC. 
Kay was born in El Dorado, Arkansas, on August 28, 1943, to Bess Marie (Crowder) Mathews and Dillard Mathews. She had three siblings, Robin (Mathews) Billings (Rodney), Paula (Mathews) Ellis, and Dwayne Mathews, who recall their very patient, attentive, and beloved big sister who would take them with her on outings with friends or the local pool to go swimming when they were growing up. She was a natural teacher, who taught her younger siblings how to write their names and the newest dances, even letting them stand on her feet while she performed the steps. She graduated from El Dorado Senior High School in El Dorado and attended Southern State College in Magnolia, Arkansas.
She leaves behind her five children: Vicki Lynn Gilliam (Ken), Vanessa Elizabeth Mayfield, Ronald Van Hardcastle (Mary), Rebecca Katharine Lewis, and Sarah Bradford Froese. She leaves behind seven grandchildren: Shelby Grant Gilliam (Jada), Alice Taylor Hardcastle, Griffin Reese Hardcastle, Ava Ardenne Tiffany, Gabriella Nicole Tiffany, and Hutch Brockton Froese. She is pre-deceased by her granddaughter Katherine Ferris Gilliam. She also leaves behind seven great-grandchildren: Sophia Charlotte Nicholson, Eldridge Gray Gilliam, August Banks Gilliam, Joan Vivalynn Gilliam, Klara Leland Gilliam, Remy Joseph Lewis, and Irene Ruth Lewis. She adored her nieces and nephews, who will miss their Aunt KK: Amy Marie Billings, Carson John Billings, Randall Scott Morrison (Heather), Katherine Diane (Ellis) Wilson (Derrick), and Andrew John (Lindsay) Ellis.
She was a very beloved mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Her laughter, unconditional love, and wisdom will be incredibly missed.
Family Gathering
Sunday
February 22, 2026
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM 
Dust To Dust Cemetery 
205 Nulty Crossing Road
Swansea, SC 29160

Admin Notes:

Biography:

After graduating from EHS, I attended SAU in Magnolia as an Art major, then returned to El Dorado to work for a while.  In 1964 I married and moved from El Dorado to Ruston, La. where my husband attended Louisiana Tech.  After a semester there, we decided to take some time off from school and moved to Shreveport where we both worked for a year until we could decide what we wanted to do when we grew up.  We soon realized that we were expecting our first child, so we decided to move to Magnolia and get back in school.  My husband received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology while I worked as a dental assistant.   We then moved to Denton, TX for him to pursue a Master’s Degree in Biology at North Texas State University.  I helped support our family by working in the Admission’s office at the university.  We spent two and a half years in Denton in the late sixties during the anti-war demonstrations and the hippie movement.  As an interesting aside, our teenaged next door neighbor and baby sitter in Denton, Shirley Cothran, became Miss American 1975.  In 1970, we moved to Austin, Texas where my husband was granted a fellowship to pursue his Doctorate in Microbiology.  We fell in love with Austin and I found myself working in student publications at UT as a yearbook advisor supervising about 100 students.  I loved my work and the students, while my growing family and I enjoyed the culture and atmosphere of Austin in the early 70’s.   As a yearbook advisor, I was honored to spend an afternoon visiting with President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird at the LBJ Library.

After having lived as students for a total of about 9 years, my husband was offered an assistant professorship at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La. while he finished writing his dissertation.
Lake Charles was certainly a change in culture from Austin, to say the least, but we eventually adjusted and made many friends and began to enjoy the South Louisiana food and fun centered lifestyle.  I began to take painting classes and enjoyed my art for a number of years.  After 14 years our marriage ended in 1976.

I remarried in 1980 and continued to live in Lake Charles for another five years until the oil crises in the early 1980’s, which affected both of our jobs.  It just so happened that my husband’s step brother, who lives in South Carolina, was in the process of starting up a new business and invited my husband to join him in this venture, so, in 1985, we sold our house, packed up and moved to South Carolina, which is steeped in tradition and seems to move slower than other southern states.  I must say, we felt like we had moved into a time warp about 20 years in the past.  It was a difficult move for all of us trying to adjust again to such a different culture.  Unfortunately, the move and career change took a huge toll on our marriage, and after 16 years, it ended in divorce in 1996. There were many blessings along the way in both of my marriages, and in my life, the greatest of all being the 5 beautiful, intelligent, talented children that I have borne;  all a blessing to me in each of their own unique way.   My oldest daughter, Vicki, is a successful attorney in Clinton, MS, just outside of Jackson, where she lives with her husband, Ken, and son, Grant, 17, her daughter, Ferris is married and has a beautiful daughter, Sofia Charlotte and lives in Meridian, MS.  Daughter #2, Vanessa, lives in Newport Beach, CA with her 2 beautiful daughters, Gabriella (Gigi) 15, and Ava, 11.  Vanessa is a world traveler and is currently writing books and a screenplay.   My only son, Ronnie, is a successful hair stylist and lives about a 30 minutes drive from me with his wife, Loretta, and has two lovely children, a daughter, Taylor, 18 and a son, Griffin, 8.  Daughter #3, Rebecca, is working on her PhD in Colonial American History at the Univ. of Southern Calif., Irvine and plans to be a college professor.  And, last, but not least, Daughter #4, Sarah, who lives about 20 minutes from me, has just completed a Master’s Degree in International Studies and is currently pursuing a job in her field.  She is married to Simon and has a handsome 4 year old son, Hutch.

I have attended many classes and received certifications for many different types of training, including numerous software courses, which I utilized as an Executive Assistant for a consulting firm who planned and built correctional facilities.  I eventually began to write their proposals for bid and traveled to attend the pre-bid meetings to obtain the requests for bid and put the proposals together.  After five years, I decided to take a break from the corporate scene and worked for an upscale furniture/interior design studio, taking classes and training in Interior Decorating and received a certification, decorating numerous homes for 4 – 5 years.  After my 2nd divorce, I worked in the training department of an international company and used my software skills to produce training manuals and also trained as a trainer in soft skill training.  After five years, the company began reducing their work force as the economic cutbacks began. I decided to go back to school to learn medical transcription, so I could work from home.  I was hired by the hospital and loved the work, but I began having problems with my back from sitting for such long periods of time, so had to retire early to give my back time to heal.  Now, after a very varied work history in which I have learned a tremendous amount…..jack of all trades, but master of none.  I’ve enjoyed learning so many skills and being able to help others.  I’ve instructed Divorce Recovery Classes and am also a Stephen Minister.

My current husband of 9 years, Mark, and I live in Lexington, SC and I am retired, but he is still working.  We enjoy going to the mountains of North Carolina, relaxing and enjoying the beauty of nature.  I have an antique booth and love going to estate sales and plundering through thrift stores and consignment shops looking for treasures for my booth.  I also enjoy making jewelry, home projects and decorating, working out at the gym, meditation/prayer, reading and traveling to visit my family.  My husband is of Cherokee heritage and we enjoy participating in his tribal activities and Pow Wows of the Lower Eastern Cherokee Nation located in Grey Court, SC.  We help host educational programs for public school children and other children’s groups such as scouts and home schooled children to keep the Native American history alive in this country.

Status:

Attachments:

Mark attachments for deletion

Kay Mathews.jpg