Herschel Albert Matheny, 90, passed away on January 23rd. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Lynne Wietfeld Matheny; his children, Ernest Alexander Matheny (Taffy) and Herschel Paul Matheny (Rachel); seven grandchildren, Nicholas, Blake, Bennett, Olivia, James, Clara, and Addie; and his sister, Oleta Matheny Godwin. He is preceded in death by brothers Orville Matheny and Alexander Matheny, and sister Hazel Matheny Snavely.
Herschel was born July 28, 1930 in Guntersville, AL to the late Ernest Bradford Matheny and Martha Ellen Alexander Matheny. He is a US Army veteran, with service in the Korean War. Following his military service, Herschel attended college on the G.I. Bill and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering. Herschel was cofounder, President and Chairman of the Board of Dynetics, Inc., an aerospace research and development firm headquartered in Huntsville, AL. He was inducted into the University of Alabama’s Distinguished Engineering Fellows in 1988 and is soon to be inducted into the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.
First and foremost Herschel was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Despite his success in business, he never missed any of his family’s events, sports or activities and he always put the best interest of others ahead of his own. He was extremely generous and a man of great integrity. Herschel was a man of relatively few words but when he did speak, he spoke with great wisdom and sometimes with surprising humor. He was greatly loved and admired and will be greatly missed.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Herschel and Lynne Matheny University of Alabama School of Engineering Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 870200, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487; or Hospice Family Care, 10000 Serenity Lane, Huntsville, AL 35803.
