Ira Zada Mathews' Obituary
Ira Zada “Z” (Woods) Mathews, 79, returned to her heavenly home on March 30, 2017 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Zada was born to the late Herbert and Bessie (McCormick) Woods on May 20, 1937. She was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where she played the piano and organ - and served in various capacities.
Zada graduated from Warren A. Candler School of Nursing in Savannah, GA – and later graduated 1975 from Medical College of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked on a kidney transplant surgery team in New York City, managed hospital wards and nursing homes, worked at the Veterans hospital in the spinal cord injury unit, and served as a faculty member at Emory University – and once in Florida, at Hillsborough Community College.
Family was Zada’s greatest accomplishment. She is survived and deeply missed by her husband, Bill Mathews; her daughters Tiffany Valdez and Brittany Jacobs; her son William Mathews III; her grandchildren Alexandria Valdez, Dylan Valdez, Zachary Valdez, Alyssa Jacobs, and Riley Mathews.
Relatives and friends may call Sunday, April 2 from 6-8PM at Trinity Memorial Gardens located at 12609 Memorial Drive, Trinity, FL. A memorial service will be held on Monday, April 3 at 10AM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 7851 Lutz Lake Fern Road, Odessa, FL.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Zada Mathews at: act.alz.org/goto/Z or the Alzheimer’s Association – Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, 14010 Roosevelt Blvd, Suite 709, Clearwater, FL 33762.
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