John R. Mathes II

March 31, 1944 - April 10, 2026

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John R. Mathes II, 82, of Tamworth, New Hampshire.

He was the beloved husband of Carol A. Mathes for 56 years, also of Tamworth, and the father of Laurie Mathes of Maine, and Kathleen Mathes Little and her husband Matthew Little of Massachusetts. He was the grandfather of four loving grandchildren, Isabelle, Jack, Porter, and Carolin, and his sweet and faithful dog Andy.

John was born in Dover, New Hampshire March 31, 1944 to his parents Valentine and Ruth Mathes. John's siblings were Ann Mathes (deceased), and James Mathes of Dover, New Hampshire. John graduated from Holderness School and the University of New Hampshire. Following college, John joined the US Marine Corps, something he was very proud of.

John had many interests. He loved to read, and had a large collection of all genres of books. He was a passionate lover of music, something he shared with his daughters. John was a history buff and enjoyed conversing about all sorts of interesting historic and scientific facts. John loved the outdoors, taking the family camping and hiking in the White Mountains. He was a lover of winter and for a number of years, John enjoyed volunteering with the Sandwich N.H. Sled Dog Races. After 25 years of working at the Dunkin Donuts headquarters in Massachusetts, he retired and moved to Tamworth surrounded by the mountains he loved so dearly.

John loved to travel. He and Carol took many wonderful trips, and their favorites were exploring the amazing American West. Some of their favorite places of travel were the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, South Dakota visiting Crazy Horse Memorial and the historic town of Deadwood.

John will be greatly missed by his family, and those that knew and loved him well.

Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on Friday, April 17, 2026 at 10:30 at the Baker-Gagne Funeral Home in West Ossipee, New Hampshire, followed by a luncheon at The River's Edge Grille & Tavern at the Indian Mound Golf Club.

In place of flowers, donations may be made to Crazy Horse Monument, Custer South Dakota: https://donate.crazyhorsememorial.org/ .