Ava Yvonne Mathis
1968-2019
Ava Yvonne Mathis, was born July 5, 1968, to Caspie and Elsie Haynes. Ava, a entered the world with dimples and a smile and was the apple of her father's eye. Her gifts were limitless and she freely shared them with others.
She married James Mathis on the Garden Island of Kauai, Hawaii on November 21, 2009. The love that they shared was so special as prayer remained the center of their married life. She loved going on seven-day and fourteen-day cruises; Hawaii, Barcelona, and Barbados were her most favored vacations.
Ava attended the Houston Independent School District and she graduated with honors from Jesse H. Jones Vanguard High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in English and History at Prairie View A & M University in 1990 and earned a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Houston Baptist University in 2000. She returned to Houston Baptist University to pursue doctoral studies in 2017 until illness forced her to withdraw in 2019.
Ava sang with her church choir and participated in other choirs throughout the city including Barbara Johnson Tucker's A Chosen Few, the St. Francis of Assisi Instrument of Peace Choir (recording together), and Just Friends.
Ava is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, the National Staff Development Council (now Learning Forward), and served on the Board of Directors for the Learning Forward Texas Association.
Ava taught in the Houston Independent School District at Braeburn Elementary, Holland Middle School and the Gregory-Lincoln Education Center where she was a three-time ESL Teacher of the Year. She transferred to HISD's Human Resource Department, and then to Lone Star College where she served as a program manager and certification officer. Upon returning to HISD, she joined the Professional Development Services Department where she worked with new teacher induction and mentoring. As a manager she assisted in leading the district-wide learning management system, organizational development, instructional technology, and the professional development clearinghouse. Ava later worked in Fort Bend ISD, Houston Baptist University, and the University of Houston Downtown.
She passed away at Bayshore Medical Center Monday, May 27, 2019, and was predeceased by both parents and her only sibling, her brother Clifford. Ava is survived by her loving husband, James Mathis, nephew Isaac Haynes, and mother-in-love Delia Mathis; godmothers Evelyn Wagner Wright and Mrs.Louise Brown; special friends, special cousins, uncles, aunt, and cousins.
Visitation (Saturday) June 1, 2019 from 9-9:55 a.m., Funeral Service will begin at 10:00 a.m., both services will be held at Jones Memorial United Methodist Church, 2504 Almeda Genoa @ Hwy 288, Rev. Kenneth Levingston, Officiating, Interment Paradise South.