Robert Matheny

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it."

Robert "Bob/Butch" Lavasco Matheny, a devoted husband, father, friend, educator, leader, and Christian, passed away peacefully on August 24, 2025, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a brief illness. He was 92.

Born January 15, 1933, in Lubbock, Texas, Bob spent his early years in rural West Texas where his entrepreneurial parents, Worth and Elsie Matheny, owned at different times, a motel, a newsstand and shine parlor, and a general country store. He and his older sister Hue Margaret learned about hard work and responsibility at a young age along with the values of the family's Christian faith that included compassion and kindness toward others. Those values endured throughout Bob's life. On hearing of Bob's death, a close family friend described him as "the best man I've ever known". Another friend remembers him as "a true gentleman".

Religion played a central role in Bob's life. In his younger years, he was a minister and sang in a gospel quartet and choir. Throughout his life, he enjoyed engaging others in discussions about theology. Sunday bible study was an important and enduring weekly tradition.

Bob's higher education and professional life centered at Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in Portales, beginning as a freshman in 1950 with a $100 scholarship. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees there. After getting his PhD in history at the University of Arizona, he returned to ENMU as a faculty member. He loved teaching and was a natural communicator with a loyal commitment to the entire university. Bob rose through the administrative ranks, ultimately serving as ENMU's 6th president from 1983 to 1989.

Former ENMU President, Patrice Caldwell, said of Bob, "He was as respected in Santa Fe as he was in Portales. He was the go-to authority for many legislators. He was an advocate for every higher education institution. Honest with everyone. Just gifted in breaking down problems and solving them ethically and with integrity."

Dr. Matheny is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Sandra, his daughter Cali, and his daughters Nelda and Monica from his first marriage to Patricia Hart from 1951-1972.

Bob was a lover of sports (especially football and college basketball), meticulously clean cars, long walks, and morning coffee and devotions with Sandra. Many will miss the toffee he made and shared each Christmas. He is remembered for his quiet humility and strength, wise counsel, endless optimism, contagious smile and laugh, and his belief in leading and living with compassion and integrity. He touched many lives.

Bob's life was celebrated in a private family service. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the ENMU Matheny Scholarship Fund.