Funeral service for Sylvia Ann (Chapman) Matthews, age 73, of Decatur, will be Saturday, February 20, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at Westmeade Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Scotty Hogan officiating and Shelton Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends on Friday, February 19, 2016, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Matthews, who died Wednesday, February 17, 2016, at Decatur Morgan Hospital, was born November 15, 1942, in Decatur, to Auvey Woodrow Chapman and Suzie Beatrice Walker Chapman. She was preceded in death by two sons, Jonathan L. Matthews and J. Stephen Matthews, and her parents. Mrs. Matthews was a loving wife, mom, daughter, sister, niece, professional, homemaker, caregiver, and foster parent.
In her early professional career, Sylvia worked to support the needs of foster children while working for the Department of Pensions and Security [currently Department of Human Resources (DHR)]. She later moved into another chapter of her career with helping to support the needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities at the Center of the Developmentally Disabled. All the while, she and her husband, John, were raising their own family of five kids while helping to care for and raise over 157 foster children from the North Alabama area. The love that Sylvia shared through foster care spanned over 35 years. Whether she was cooking supper for a daily household of more than 10, participating in youth mission tours with her church, or worshipping with her church family, she was always committed with a servant’s heart.
A servant’s heart has more to do with your relationship with God than it has to do with your desire to be recognized for your good deeds. It’s about seeing a need and fulfilling it without any strings attached. It’s about making yourself uncomfortable so that someone else could be comfortable. It’s about showing Christ’s love through your actions and words. Sylvia definitely embodied the true meaning of a “Servant’s Heart.”
She is survived by her loving husband, John Raymond Matthews of Decatur; two sons, Michael Matthews of Helena, and Andy Matthews of Decatur; three daughters, Susan Jones of Greenville, SC, Karen Hennecy of Birmingham, and Laura McKeller of Columbiana; one sister, Mary Sue Wilkerson of Moulton; seven grandchildren, Katherine Goding of Mauldin, SC, Alivia Jones of Greenville, SC, Brooks McKeller of Columbiana, Kate McKeller of Columbiana, Aja Matthews of Helena, C. J. Hennecy of Birmingham, and Eli Matthews of Helena; one great-grandchild, Johnluke Ira Goding.
Pallbearers will be Charlie Matthews, Kent Wilkerson, Chris Wilkerson, Jeff Green, Wiley McKeller, and Brooks McKeller. Honorary pallbearers will be Woody Fowler, C. J. Hennecy, Eli Matthews, and Johnluke Ira Goding.
