Reinhold (Rein) G. Mattes, 77, of Florence AZ

Reinhold (Rein) G. Mattes, 77, of Florence, Arizona, died Saturday, August 29, 2015 at the Lund Home in Gilbert, Arizona, of complications from a rare blood cancer.

Rein grew up in Chicago, Illinois, graduating from Tilden Tech High School in 1956. He continued his education at the University of Illinois in Champagne/Urbana, then the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he received a Doctorate in Education in 1983.

Rein married Lois Tieger in 1960. In 1963, the couple moved to Broomfield, Colorado, where two daughters, Kirsten and Lynn, were born. Rein worked as an educator in metro Denver for 30 years: 17 years in Adams County District 12 in a variety of positions; 13 years as principle of Gateway High School in Aurora.

In 1984, Rein married Barbara Petersen. He retired in 1993, and Rein and Barbara moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In 1997, they moved to Arizona.

Rein enjoyed Native American art, northern New Mexico cuisine, gardening and yard work, tennis and golf, their cabin in the Northwood’s of Wisconsin, hiking, boating, traveling and time with family and friends.

He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 31 years; daughter Kirsten Federico and granddaughters Sidney and Demi of Centennial, Colorado; daughter Lynn Henley (John) and grandson Calvin of Denver, Colorado; sister Jeannine Miller of Las Vegas, Nevada; mother-in-law Ruth Petersen of Omaha, Nebraska and brother-in-law Charles Petersen and family of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Cremains will be scattered in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado; in Santa Fe, New Mexico; and at their cabin near Mercer, Wisconsin. A private graveside burial will take place in the Tekamah, Nebraska, cemetery later this fall.

Memorials suggested to Hospice of the Valley/Phoenix, The American Cancer Society, or the IWMF (International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation).

GRAVESIDE SERVICE: Saturday, October 10, 2015, 11:00 am, the Tekamah Cemetery.

Rein Mattes

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pelan@pelanfuneralservices.com