Mattie L. Kincaid

Mattie Lou Ragan Kincaid was born in Van Leer, Tennessee, on July 5, 1921, she died December 12, 2019 at St Leonard in Centerville, Ohio, where she had lived for the last nine years. Mattie was the fourth of six children of James and Stella Ragan. She moved to Dayton with her siblings, Robert, David, "Gene", Georgia, and "Franny," where she graduated from Parker Co-op high school class of 1940. Her early marriage to Lloyd Cannon led to the birth of her first daughter, Sharon (1941), but eventually ended in divorce. In April 1945 she married Chester Kincaid, daughter Julie was born in 1954. Chester and Mattie were married for 55 years before his death in 2000. Mattie is survived by her two daughters, Sharon Cannon Zimmer (Don) of Port Tobacco, MD and Julie Kincaid (Santos) of Madrid, Spain, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren, numerous nieces and a nephew. When/if her daughters were unable to travel to St Leonard, niece Melinda Henger was always there to oversee her care, provide support, a family presence and companionship to Mattie.

Mattie loved to travel, especially to Spain, where her daughter Julie and family lived, and to the various places daughter Sharon's life as an Air Force wife took her. She loved the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Florida, California, and Great Britain. At 81 she traveled to Spain by herself to spend time with Julie and her family. At age 84 she traveled to Scotland with her daughter, Sharon, and her family to see her grandson. There she insisted on carrying her luggage all the way, including up and down the five flights of stairs to the apartment they rented in Edinburgh. She made one more trip with a friend to London before she decided to live the rest of her life closer to home.

Mattie took great care of her body, mind, and spirit. She loved yoga, she was an artist with an inquisitive mind, and she always had a smile for the people she met. She knew and loved God and served her community of faith, Oak Creek UCC, in many ways. Mattie loved music, especially opera, and was a patron of the Dayton Opera. She was also a patron of the Dayton Art Institute, where she took numerous classes in painting. Her paintings of people, landscapes, flowers, and still-life's, still grace many homes.

One of her grandchildren said this about her: "When I think of Grandma I think of her poise and grace, her impeccable sense of style. She was always so put together, never frazzled, she made everything seem so effortless. She was selfless and humble....never talking about or thinking about herself but always so interested in me and my life. She was gentle and kind but she also had a silly/funny side too that I'm thankful I got to see." Mattie Kincaid was a truly remarkable person who made our lives so much richer, she will be dearly missed.

Mattie's wishes were honored by her family with a private cremation. The family will celebrate her life during a memorial service 11:00 am Friday, January 31, 202 at St Leonard Chapel, 8100 Clyo Rd., Centerville. Miami Valley Memory Gardens, Centerville will serve as the resting place for Mattie's ashes. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dayton Art Institute, New Harmony Church on Bigger Road in Kettering, or the charity of your choice. Written memories of Mattie may be expressed to the family here by leaving a message on Mattie's online memorial.