"To the Mattingly family, I send my deepest sympathy for your loss. I had the honor and pleasure of working with and for Bill in the Pittsburgh, PA office. He was a very good man and boss, a big man with an even bigger heart. He was extremely proud of his family and of his service to his country. He will most certainly be missed by his co-workers and his many friends. Don Ashton "
In loving memory of
William Herbert Mattingly
October 20, 1931 - April 25, 2019
William H. Mattingly, 87, died April 24, 2019, at PIH Health Hospital in Whittier, California.
Born William Herbert Mattingly on October 20, 1931, in Louisville, Kentucky of parents Mary Eula Barry Mattingly and Herbert Benjamin Mattingly. He attended St. Anthony and St. Columba parish schools in Louisville, graduating from Flaget High School in 1949 and the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree in 1956.
William (Bill) proudly served as a Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration in Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami. He served as the Special Agent in Charge in Nashville from 1960-1965 and in Pittsburgh, PA from 1965-1970, retiring as a Group Supervisor in Los Angeles, CA.
Enlisting in the US Navy in 1949, he served as a Navy Corpsman in the Korean War, joining the Kentucky National Guard as a 2nd Lieutenant upon his return. He later transferred to the US Naval Reserve, where he served with Naval Intelligence until retiring with the rank of Captain in 1991. He had been a member of Kiwanis, Rotary, American Legion, Reserve Officers Association, and the Naval Reserve Association. He was an avid reader and student of history, enjoyed college and professional football, and traveled worldwide.
He is survived by wife, Ruth Evelyn Mattingly of La Habra Heights, CA; daughters, Dianne Mattingly of Whittier, CA and Catherine Hawkins of Chattanooga, TN; son, David of Carlsbad CA; sisters, Elaine Krider and Sandra McClure of Louisville, KY and Gloria Richard of Nashville, TN.
A memorial service will be held at noon, May 18th at St. John Vianney in Hacienda Heights, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Association of Federal Narcotics Agents Foundation at https://www.afnafoundation.org/donate/.
Tributes
"To the many friends of my Dad, I thank you for your words of comfort and support. This man was truly bigger than life, and his absence means the loss of a colorful and unique force in the lives of us all. He is surely now sitting comfortably in his heavenly recliner, enjoying the ultimate cable tv service with a million free channels, reading from his enormous book collection, chowing down on any formerly forbidden food without repercussion, and looking down on us with that mischievous attitude of his. He is also probably sparring verbally with the other angels and trying to convince many of them that they voted incorrectly in their last earthly elections! He loved you all! God bless you all! Cathy Doreen "
"Dear Family, Although we both served as DEA Agents for many years, we were never in the same city and I never knew Bill until many years after we both retired. In fact, we never actually met. Rather our friendship was developed with e-mails and a few phone calls. In spite of this, we developed a close friendship. For sure I, along with many others will miss Bill's many e-mails. He loved the Navy and always teased me about my service in the Army. Of course, I gave it right back to him and we both enjoyed the exchanges. My wife and I began to pray for Ruth when she was hospitalized awhile back. Later, we added Bill to our daily prayer list, when he shared some of his recent health challenges. While Bill is gone, we have continued to pray for Ruth. We also pray for Barry and Dianne. It's difficult to lose your dad. May God comfort you in the time ahead. Sincerely, Jack Bullard"
"Dear Ruth, Barry, Diane, and Cathy -- how very sorry I was to learn of your precious husband and father's death. I never met Bill in person, but felt like I knew him personally after many years of correspondence on every subject under the sun. I cannot say enough good things about Mr. William Mattingly. As a veteran, he served as an HM3 Navy Corpsman during the Korean War, and later as a US Naval Intelligence officer, eventually rising to the rank of Captain -- a Mustang, going from enlisted to officer ranks, like my own Dad. But he also served our country and defended the Constitution in another part of his life: as a veteran of the War on Drugs. He was an undercover narcotics agent in the original Federal Bureau of Narcotics and its successor agencies, with posts all over this great country, including today's Drug Enforcement Agency. In positions of increasing responsibility, he used his knowledge and experience to supervise and assist other agents. At one time early in his career he was the partner of Agent Joe Arpaio in Chicago, decades before Joe's name became nationally known as the no-nonsense Sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona. (FYI, Joe was also my father's FBN boss when they were both assigned to the U.S. embassy in Mexico City.) Despite the latter part of Bill's years spent atop a mountain in sunny Southern California, I know he never lost the love for his home state of Kentucky: its Derby, its good bourbon whiskey, and all the other traditions, including fond memories of growing up in Louisville. At one time he was an avid fly fisherman, having fished for trout literally all around the world (I shared his love, but only trout here in NC). Last but by no means least, Captain Bill was a life-long servant of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was a devoted member of the Roman Catholic Church, having served in his youth as an altar boy, and still attending mass regularly in his waning years. There will never be another Captain Bill. So very sorry for your loss. May God comfort you. And each of us, too. -- Rick Barber, Charlotte, NC"