Lieutenant Mark Dwight Mathews (1949-2022)

Mark was born November 26, 1949, to David E. and Thelma Ann (Kinworthy) Mathews. He attended Deer Park High School and after the Ninth Grade switched to Princeton High School. While attending Princeton, he was lead guitar in a rock and roll band called The Mortician Six. He graduated in June 1967.

After high school he attended and graduated from a two-year Divers Training Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and dived for Cincinnati Gas and Electric and insurance companies.

In 1971, Mark joined the Loveland Police Department as a Patrolman and served until July 7, 1976.

He then joined the Milford Police Department. Officer Mathews quickly became the second-best marksman on their pistol team.  In 1977, he formed and commanded the Hamilton County Police Association (HCPA) Search and Recovery Dive Team, a multi-law enforcement agency team used for the past 45 years by all area law enforcement agencies to search for everything from discarded weapons to bodies to cars. By April 1978 was promoted to Sergeant and in 1979 was working as a Canine Handler for Milford. He hosted an interstate police diving seminar in 1981.

On April 14, 1986, he joined the Glendale Police Department as a parttime police officer. On September 15, 1986, he was upgraded to fulltime. Then, on June 7, 1988, he was promoted to Lieutenant. In 1989, Lieutenant Mathews formed the HCPA-sponsored musical group, Most Wanted, consisting of nineteen law enforcement officers from sixteen agencies. For 33 years, they have played several times a month without fee at area schools and other locations to promote an anti-drug and alcohol message. In 1991, Lieutenant Mathews was named Police Officer of the Year by the HCPA for his work with the Most Wanted.

Then, in 1993, he formed another band to play 60s music with musicians from the Lemon Pipers, Runabout, and Most Wanted and called it DeJavu.  Later, in 1993, he formed a street hockey club in Milford to give boys and safe outlet for their desires to play in the streets.

Lieutenant Mathews retired about 1994 and moved to Florida to work as a salvage diver. Later he worked with a tourist diving charter as an instructor.

Lieutenant Mathews died in Florida from a pulmonary embolism on March 16, 2022, at the age of 72.

Lieutenant Mathews is survived by his wife of 47 years, Rena Lynn (Flynn) Mathews; children, Shane David (Tonya) Mathews and Mollie Susan (Shaun) Tracy; grandchildren; and siblings, Dave (Linda) Mathews, Mary Ann Katterjohn, and Marla Brate.

A celebration of life will be held 2 to 6 p.m. on May 21, 2022 in the Mulberry Room of the Miami Township Civic Center at 6101 Meijer Drive in Milford.

_{© 2022 – All rights reserved to LT Stephen R. Kramer RET and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum}

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