James A Mather

James “Jim” Alan Mather, age 91, passed away on June 23, 2026, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was born on October 28, 1934, to parents, Glenn Elvet Mather and Gertrude Isabel (Stewart) Mather, in Logansport, Indiana. One of three children.

After graduating from Logansport High School in 1952, he continued his education at Indiana University earning a degree in Journalism in 1956. He then entered into the United States Army and was able to experience his first travels abroad. After finishing out his duty, he earned a master’s degree in education in 1961, at Purdue University, while working as an Industrial Therapist at the Logansport State Hospital.

On June 4, 1960, he married Patti Walters and relocated to Wisconsin to work at the Winnebago State Hospital in Oshkosh as the Industrial Therapy Director. Jim loved helping others in the community. From 1963-1966, he worked in the Green Bay Division of Vocational Rehabilitation as a Rehabilitation Counselor. He transferred to the Oshkosh location to further his career as a Local Office Supervisor from 1966-1968, then the Fond du Lac Branch from 1968 to 1972.

His love of learning brought him back to the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee Campus, where he obtained a masters in Rehabilitation Counseling in 1969. From 1972 until his retirement, he came full circle to finish out his career. In 1999, UW-Oshkosh awarded him the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, for his leadership and efforts in the community.

Jim was a long-time member of the Oshkosh Housing Authority starting in 1977, followed by Chairman from 1982 to 1991. He served as the President of the Wisconsin Rehabilitation Association in 1972 and President of the Great Lakes Region in 1973. He was an Oshkosh City Councilman from 1977 to 1991, Deputy Mayor for the City of Oshkosh from 1986 to 1988, and Mayor of Oshkosh from 1988 to 1990. In 1987, he co-founded and co-chaired the Oshkosh Community Human Relations Council, along with then Chancellor Edward M. Penson, which focused on addressing issues concerning racial and cultural tolerance.

Another accomplishment for Jim was co-hosting Commentary, a political talk show, along with Tony Palmeri, Communications Professor at UW Oshkosh, from '93-'03 and which was broadcast on Titan TV.

He re-married later on in life to Sharon Lewandowski (nee Lane), until her passing in March of 2016.

In his free time, his greatest interests were tennis, reading, politics and following the Hoosiers, Packers and Brewers.

He is survived by his children, Amy Mather and Joel Mather; stepdaughter, Katy Hamdan and her son, Eyas; sister, Ann (Daniel) DeDona; nephew, Michael (Whitney) DeDona and their children, Lee and Lexi; niece, Deb (Dave) Mather-Boehm and their children, Kate and James; as well as additional family and friends.

Preceding him in death were his wife, Sharon Mather; parents, Glenn Elvet Mather and Gertrude Isabel (Stewart) Mather; brother, Glenn Mather; niece, Meredith DeDona; nephew, Dave Mather; sister-in-law, Diamond Mather; and mother of his children, Patti.

He will be remembered for being intelligent, humorous and a strong advocate for social justice.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Oshkosh Area Humane Society or animal shelter of your choice or to Wisconsin or National Public Radio.

The gathering per Jim’s wishes will be at West End Pizza in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on Saturday, August 1, from 4-7 pm.

With deep gratitude, the family wishes to thank Visiting Angels, the staff at Aurora Healthcare, Evergreen Retirement Community and Generations Hospice, for the exceptional care and compassion provided to Jim. A very special thank you to Deb, Shari and Angie for their loving care of Jim’s beloved cat, Shadow, and dear friend, Olaf “Ole” Brekke, who always maintained a connection.