Remembering Clay: Messages from Family and Friends

I was blessed and honored over the last year or so to have met Clay Mathile. It was wonderful to hear him speak about his family and their efforts to do good. On behalf of the Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions, I want to offer my deepest sympathies to the family.

~ Commissioner Greg Gonzales

My sincerest condolences to Mary and the family for the loss of Clay. He was a great friend to me. Clay and I have been friends for over 50 years. I was a Sig Ep pledge and Clay was the terror of all of us. I remember this well. I remember the trip to Alaska to King Salmon and wonderful time that we had there. I last talked to Clay in April when he called me and indicated his condition and said we needed to get together this summer. He said some things that now have more meaning. He was a person with a huge heart and vision. Be at peace my friend!

~ Terry Keiser

I first became aware of the Mathile family through my predecessor at Choice One, Tony Schroeder. As Tony was mentoring me over the years, he would often mention how Clay made him realize how important this time Tony was taking on me was, or how Clay made him think of a situation differently. I had never had someone in my life respect another human being more than Tony respected Clay, and seeing that relationship second hand made me realize how important those connections are in life. Though my interactions with Clay were only in passing at Aileron, Clay (through Tony) changed my life, my families life, and the families of every person who has ever worked at Choice One. I will forever be grateful for the mentorship and guidance Clay offered Tony that shaped the way Tony groomed me into the business leader, father, husband, and person I am today. I want to thank MaryAnn and the rest of the Mathile family for sharing Clay with us all, but for also supporting Clay in your own ways to allow him to have the impact that he did. Without you all, he couldn't have done what he did, and therefore it isn't just Clay I am grateful for, but the entire family. I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to you all, and offer my prayers for your comfort in the times of sorrow and for joy of the memories.

~ Matt Hoying

One of the most special things about Clay and Mary is how they make others feel so loved and cared for, even if they've only known you a short while. The genuine care they have had for me throughout my time at the Foundation has been unlike anything I've experienced at any other workplace. Clay would always ask how my family was doing, remembering them all by name. I admire Clay and Mary both for their accomplishments and who they are as people. The love they have for each other and their family is something you can just feel when you are around them and I strive to have that impact on others as well. I can remember being at their house for an event and my daughter Lainey was only a few months old at the time. He offered to hold her so my husband and I could eat our dinner, knowing that new parents don't often get to eat uninterrupted. It's how I'll always remember him.

~ Emily Hughes

My hope is that Clay's eternal view now gives him an idea of the incredible impact of his life. He made his Lord and Savior very proud. I am just one of many CEO/Owners that was so Blessed to have had Clay take his time to guide and mentor. He allowed his life lessons to be taught to enable our lives and companies to gain from them. He took the time to get to know my situation and then challenged me to take it and run. It is difficult to express how much I appreciated our one-on-one time. It would be easy to think that one is not worthy of this incredibly successful person's time. He made you feel he was honored to talk to you. His impact is so much more than maybe even he could guess because of the successes his mentoring created. Clay - Thank you So Very Much! To his Family - Our Prayers are with you and thank you for sharing him with us.

~ Ronald D. Shroder

The first time I met Mr. Mathile was twenty years ago as he breaking ground on his dream, Aileron, in Bethel Township. Up to that point, I had worked with members of his hand picked team, which were top notch professionals, just like Mr. Mathile.

The man who encouraged everyone to "dream no small dreams" was fulfilling his own by creating a place where people can come and learn how to take their entrepreneurial dreams to the next level by creating an business that would last for generations.

Mr. Mathile was a man who at his core served others and his kindness and graciousness was well known. His pursuit of philanthropy was well known.

Thank you Mr. Mathile for your contributions to our community. We are better people for the work you have done building us up. Rest in peace.

~ WIlliam Lutz

To the Mathile Family,

Please accept my heartfelt condolences for the passing of Clay. He was a remarkable leader and a generous mentor to many in the Dayton area and beyond. His vision and dedication to supporting small businesses and developing professional management skills have made a lasting difference in my life and career. I owe much of my success and growth to his guidance and encouragement through Aileron and other initiatives. He always challenged me to set higher goals and pursue excellence in everything I do. I am grateful for the opportunity to have met him and learned from him. His legacy will live on through the countless lives he has touched and transformed. He was a true asset to the Dayton community and I appreciate all that you have done to continue his work.

Thank you for sharing him with us and please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. He will be greatly missed.

~ Christopher T. Meyer

The Glen staff will always appreciate Clay’s thought-provoking questions, his challenge to us to always improve our processes, his interest in our Residents’ educational plans, his love for his wife, Mary, and his entire family. Rest in peace.

~ Elaine Lantz

I was fortunate to experience Clay’s leadership and vision of a corporate culture that focused on providing “best of class” customer service, supporting people (employees, distributors, retailers, and community organizations) and developing superior products. His legacy is a model that serves every entrepreneur, current and future, to achieve their goals. My prayers and thoughts are with the Mathile family during this difficult time.

~ Jack Tootson

Wright Dunbar would not be what it is today without the guidance and support of Clay. His involvement and direction in the very early stages set us on the right path for success. He guided us through our strategic plan formation and provided the resource to implement it. We are very grateful to Mary and Clay for seeing what could be accomplished in Wright Dunbar when many others couldn't. They care about the community and those that live here.

~ Harry

Over my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from a few world class executives. None were a match for Clay Mathile. He clearly was the best combination of integrity, intellect, leading-by-example, compassion, and competitive drive. On top of all that, Mary and he raised a wonderful family. I’ll miss him and his everyday wisdom.

~ Tom MacLeod

Never did Clay seek anything for himself; his sole desire was for us all to contribute towards the betterment of the Dayton region. His passion for enhancing the community he held dear drove him, and he fervently hoped that we would all unite in pursuit of this aspiration.

~ Jon Husted, Lieutenant Governor of Ohio

Working for the Iams Company was an honor and a privilege. I was very young in my career when Joan Fedders hired me and was afforded many opportunities to grow within the organization. Clay's leadership guided a work culture that was simple yet motivating. Be honest, do your best and treat others with dignity and respect. He believed that the power of the decision had nothing to do with the power of the position and that everyone should know the mission. It's not surprising that I can still recite the mission today without pause. Thank you, Clay, for letting me be part of something very special. May God bless you and your family. You are in my prayers. (Sourced from Facebook post)

~ Marsha Mosko Pohlman

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mathile family. Clay’s legacy will live on forever.

~ Susie and Lenny Pronesti

Clay always greeted me by name. Regardless of how many employees we had, how many entities he was involved in, who was in the room, he made an effort to learn everyone’s names and use them. Clay congratulated me when he found out I was expecting my first child. He said, “I don’t mind paying for babies- that is the best thing health insurance could be used for!” He went on to ask about my son whenever he saw me and ask how my husband’s business was going. He cared so much about people, and their families and lives. Clay, you will be missed. You made such an incredible impact on so many. Words can’t express how grateful I am for the opportunities you gave to me through Aileron to grow and learn. My life and my family are better off for having known you, and for the gift of Aileron and professional management you gave the community.

~ Krista Powell

Prayers for Clay and family. My time working for Clay at the Iams/Eukanuba home office was a delightful time for me. I loved the climate where people said hello to each other. The pats on the back. Clay said hello to me by name from the second day on the job to always. I so admired him. Prayers and fond smiles for Clay always. (Sourced from Facebook post)

~ Shelia Yux

I am truly heartbroken to hear of Clay's passing, and know in my heart and core he will always be in the halls of Aileron.

~ Jenni Lough Watson

It was an honor and great privilege to be even a little part of the great Iams Company! Glenn Williams hired me into the “dog” marketing department (later marketing split into Iams and Eukanuba brand marketing). Clay’s servant leadership was the best! His moral and ethical values speak volumes of his true character. His care and generosity to his employees were overwhelming - so different from the other corporate environments I had worked. Praying with all my heart that the blessings he (and Mary) gave to The Iams Family will come back to him pressed down and overflowing! May God grant you His peace and ever presence at this time! You have my upmost respect! Thank you, Clay! (Sourced from Facebook post)

~ Anne Sharp Vance

I remember interviewing at Iams and being told it was like a family. That was such a cliche about businesses and workplaces back then when I joined Iams in the early 90s. The thing was, Clay and Mary truly walked the talk. I can think of too many examples to even try to share. Clay, you set the bar very high for pet food manufacturers everywhere, which improved the lives of millions of pets across the world. Thank you for the chance to help make your vision come to life. It was the greatest privilege of my life. Sending out prayers for you and your family. (Sourced from Facebook post)

~ Valerie Stern

I’ll never forget what he told me. He said: he never in his life would have thought that he would ever live a life as he has now. That he came from a very hard-working farm family that had a lot of love and happiness. Working on the farm was hard, but he enjoyed it along with his brother. He teared up in telling that to me, but it was a special moment for me that he had shared a piece of his life with me. He thanked me again, started up the four-wheeler and continued his ride. But that interaction left an impression on me about Mr. Mathile, and that was he was a very humble man, he was grounded and treated everyone with courtesy, respect, and an appreciation of the people around him. That everyone has a say, and he was not above you, but he walked beside you. That was powerful.

~ Lito Hernandez