Obituary of Edwin Mattheis

October 28, 1934 - September 10, 2023

Edwin (Ed) Mattheis was born October 28, 1934, on a farm near Scapa, Alberta, the middle child of Romanian (Bessarabia) immigrants Danial and Carolina Mattheis. He was a man of many interests and skills. In his lifetime he was a farmhand, student, petroleum engineer, pilot, rancher, developer, author and a reluctant retiree. He was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend.

Edwin earned his petroleum engineering degree in 1957, at the University of Alberta. He spent 30 years in the oil business, founding and managing Mattheis Engineering Ltd. and related service companies. The later years in the oil business overlapped his other love, ranching, with the purchase of the former Three Walking Sticks ranch. He embraced ranching with enthusiasm and dedication to the ‘land’. Adding irrigation to the land allowed Ed to raise outstanding crops of grain and alfalfa, some winning prizes at the local fair.

Ed retired in 1995 spending winters in Vancouver. That didn’t work, so back to the cattle business and custom grazing. In 2010 he donated the ranch to the University of Alberta, and it became an integral part of the Rangeland Research Institute. Retirement didn’t take the second time around either, so he built two solar energy efficient houses in the Village of Duchess. In his spare time, he acquired two more university degrees, a BA in religious studies (U of C) and a BA in ethics and philosophy (UBC).

He enjoyed the comaradarie of the long hours of working during the evolution of the oil patch during the 60s and 70s, but he also loved the ‘Land’. He respected the grassland home of the game birds he used to hunt and the other song and grass birds he ‘watched’ in later years.

Over the years and since retirement he volunteered at various church and condominium Boards, Alberta Trail Net, County Tourism, Vancouver Food Bank, and the Vancouver Olympics. He also served as a director of three public oil and gas companies.

He is survived by Ruth, his wife of almost 65 years of marriage, two children, Melanie Gay (Cochrane), Aaron David (Bassano), three grandchildren, Jeremy, Justin, Shianne, and five great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Irma (Sexsmith) and his sister-in-law June (Drumheller). He was predeceased by his parents, Danial and Carolina; his sister Ann, his brothers, Art and Gus; an infant sister Irma, and many extended family members.

Funeral Services will be held at Lutheran Church of The Cross (10620 Elbow Drive S.W., Calgary, AB) on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. Reception to follow in the Fellowship Room at the church. Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Mr. Mattheis’ service streamed live on the day of the service at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_YaYmCstZE. Graveside Service will be held at St. Peter’s Scapa Lutheran Church Cemetery on Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Edwin’s family here.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to Wilderness Ranch, by sending a cheque to Wilderness Ranch, Box 1804, Claresholm, AB, T0L 0T0, sending an e-transfer wildernessranch@platinum.ca or online at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/m/38830?v2=true.