Mather, Roger

Roger Mather died peacefully on Saturday, April 20, 2013, Mercy Hospice in Iowa City, his loving wife Betty at his side.

Born in 1917 in Greenwich, England, to Richard and Marie (Schultze) Mather, he moved with his family to Jamshedpur, India (1921); Stargard, Germany (1925); and London, England (1928). He attended Uppingham School and Cambridge University, Trinity College (BA, Physics and Chemistry; Honorary MA, Metallurgy, 1938) in England; and MIT (MSci, Metallurgy, 1940) in Boston.

As metallurgist, he worked at Inland Steel, East Chicago; Willys-Overland, Toledo; Kaiser-Frazer, Detroit (during World War II for the military Jeep); US Steel, Pittsburgh; Mine Safety Appliances, Pittsburgh; DuPont, Wilmington; and NASA Lewis Research Center (Space Power Systems), Cleveland. After retiring from NASA in 1973, he shared the flute position at The University of Iowa School of Music with Betty Bang Mather, until their retirement in 1996. He wrote metallurgical articles, three books on playing the flute (a fourth to appear soon) and, after his second retirement, poetry for U.S. and U.K. anthologies.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; children, Arielle of Las Vegas, Nev. and Christopher and wife Diane (Luke) of Paoli, Pa.; granddaughters, Courtney and Ashley of Gloucester City, N.J.; and sister Ruth Hughes of Oxted, Surrey, England.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, John (Spitfire pilot downed in Battle of Britain); and first wife, Dorothea.

His body is deeded to The University of Iowa and his eyes to the Iowa Lyons Eye Bank for research.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the National Music Museum (414 E. Clark St., Vermillion, SD 57069), Iowa City Hospice (1025 Wade St., Iowa City, IA 52240), or to ALS Development/Research (27001 Agoura Road, Suite 250, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301).

Lensing Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Online condolences may be left at under obituaries.

Published in The Gazette April 24, 2013.