Willodene “Dene” Parker Mathews passed away peacefully on May 28, 2021 at the age of 94.
Dene was born on Spetember 22, 1926 in Cherokee County, Alabama to Odus and Bula Parker. The oldest of four siblings, Dene was preceded in death by her husband John H. Mathews, granddaughter Allison Goldstein, and her three sisters . She is survived by sons Ron and David, daughter Gail Dockery, four grandaughters and six great-grandchildren.
Always a teacher, Dene graduated from Jacksonville State Teachers’ College and started her career at Ohatchee High School. Later moving to Anniston and finally Decatur, Dene’s career spanned 35 years. She loved her students and gave them the math foundation for a successful career. She also taught Sunday School and was a long time member of Central Baptist Church in Decatur.
After retirement, Dene pursued her passion for wildflowers by volunteering at the Huntsville Botantical Gardens. She led a group of volunteers, known as the “Grubbers”, in developing what is now the Dene Mathews Nature Trail. Many of the flowers in the trail are transplants from her timber farm, Cherokee Pines. Dene was recognized for her committment to Environmental Stewardship with the 1987 Helene Moseley Memorial Alabama Treasure Forest Award.
Dene often had the opportunity to combine her love of teaching and wildflowers by escorting student groups through the Wildflower Trail. One such occassion proved to be a fitting tribute to her boundless energy and enthusiam when a youngster asked to have his picture taken with her. Returning to his group he was overheard to exclaim that he had just had his picture taken with Mother Earth.
