Mickie Douglas Mattiza, 54, of Amarillo died Monday, April 25, 2005

Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday in Cowboy Church and Arena. Arrangements are by OakCrest Funeral Home of Waco.

Mr. Mattiza, devoted son, husband and father, made his last round-up surrounded by his family at his home in Amarillo following a courageous two-year struggle with cancer. He was born March 11, 1951, in McCamey. He started school at Clark Air Force Base, Philippine Islands, and graduated from Gatesville High School in 1969. He attended Ranger Junior College and Tarleton State University, where he graduated with a bachelor of science in agribusiness in 1974. He later met the love of his life, Jo Ann Ilbery, and they were married on July 3, 1976. They had been married almost 29 years. Mickie had been a member of St. John's Lutheran Church since his baptism in 1954.

Mickie always loved working in agriculture. He was a member of 4-H and FFA in Gatesville, and earned his Lone Star Farmer's Degree in 1969. Following his graduation from Tarleton, Mickie worked various agriculture-related jobs before joining the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He worked for that organization for more than 22 years, primarily in the agribusiness area, before retiring in 2000. His retirement allowed him to devote full time to his true vocation of working as a cowboy. He was a member of The Working Ranch Cowboys' Association, and was only truly happy when he was horseback and working cattle. Above all else, he was a cowboy.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Emmett and Almira Dickie and Charlie and Bertha Buth; two uncles, Rhabb Dickie and Kenneth Kettler; and his father-in-law, Gilbert A. Ilbery.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Chris Mattiza and wife, Tammy, of Coryell City and Justin Mattiza of Amarillo; two grandchildren, Kaylee and Tyler Mattiza of Coryell City; his parents, Ira D. "Tex" and Bettie Kate Mattiza of Coryell City; a brother, Dann "Rusty" Mattiza and wife, Jean, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; a sister, Rebecca Sue Kirby and husband, Dale, of Corpus Christi; three aunts, Dodie Kettler and Joy Dickie, both of Gatesville, and Madie Deavers and husband, Glenn, of Dublin; his mother-in-law, Jane Ilbery of Waco; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Sign our online guest book at WWW.OAKCRESTWACO.COM.

Amarillo Globe-News, May 20, 2005