Obituary for William Michael Mattox
William “Bill” Michael Mattox passed away peacefully at home in Tacoma, Washington on October 3, 2021. He was 73.
Bill was born in Meridian, Mississippi on May 21, 1948 and grew up in the Manhattan Beach area of Southern California, where he began a lifelong love affair with the ocean, spending as much time surfing as he did in school (by his own admission).
Bill turned his love of the ocean into a career becoming a licensed captain. One of his happiest times was while running interisland sailboat cruises in Hawaii. Later he ran supply boats in the Gulf of Mexico and, upon returning to California, private yachts and whale-watching cruises. Ultimately, he transitioned to his secondary career in construction from which he retired in 2014.
Moving to Tacoma in 1999 with his wife Jan, Bill embraced all things PNW – delighting in the seasons, the parks, cycling, walking the dog and spending long summer days working in his garden.
Much-loved by family and friends, Bill is deeply and sorely missed. Following a simple cremation, he will be returned to his beloved Pacific Ocean next Spring – his favorite season.
“Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from the sea.”
Bill was born in Meridian, Mississippi on May 21, 1948 and grew up in the Manhattan Beach area of Southern California, where he began a lifelong love affair with the ocean, spending as much time surfing as he did in school (by his own admission).
Bill turned his love of the ocean into a career becoming a licensed captain. One of his happiest times was while running interisland sailboat cruises in Hawaii. Later he ran supply boats in the Gulf of Mexico and, upon returning to California, private yachts and whale-watching cruises. Ultimately, he transitioned to his secondary career in construction from which he retired in 2014.
Moving to Tacoma in 1999 with his wife Jan, Bill embraced all things PNW – delighting in the seasons, the parks, cycling, walking the dog and spending long summer days working in his garden.
Much-loved by family and friends, Bill is deeply and sorely missed. Following a simple cremation, he will be returned to his beloved Pacific Ocean next Spring – his favorite season.
“Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor, home from the sea.”