David Matlock

A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, October 10, at Faith Baptist Church for David Matlock of Artesia.

David was found dead at his home on Monday, October 3. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Terpening & Son Mortuary.

He was born on August 16, 1942 in a lonely farmhouse in rural Curry County, New Mexico, to Madison (Shorty) Elliott and Frances Christine Matlock.

David spent his early childhoood years wrestling with livestock, repairing equipment, and tormenting his sisters, Pansy Belcher and Bernice Riley, who survive him. Bernice's husband, Winfred, was David's roommate at Eastern New Mexico University. Pansy's husband, Richard "Dick" Belcher, preceded him in death, but was also a good friend.

Grady, New Mexico, was a good place to grow up. There were only eight seniors at Grady High in 1960.

David met Charlette Bennett at ENMU. They married December 27, 1962

They had two children, Gordon and Larry Matlock. David and Charlette were married for 27 years. They taught thousands of students and raised their children in Artesia, New Mexico. Charlette survives him and lives in Lakewood, NM, with her husband, Dennis Bratcher. David is also survived by Gordon, his wife, Marina, and their son, Matthias, who live in Morgan Hill, California, while Larry continues to haunt southeastern New Mexico.

David's students at Hermosa Elementary remember him well.

He tried to make fatherhood fun, and built a sophisticated tree house on the ground, then had a tractor place it in the tree. After he left the house in Cottonwood, someone paid his work the highest compliment: the tree house was stolen.

"Mr. Matlock" was well-known at the high school auditorium. He used his substantial creative gifts to build sets for large-scale choir productions and especially for the high school's theater department and drama club, called "Masquers". A donation was made in his name to the current theater program, to help them remember all the hours he invested and how professional the sets for those shows looked.

David's life underwent a massive change after his divorce from Charlette and his retirement from Hermosa Elementary School, where he was the assistant principal and taught fourth grade. A year after his divorce, he married Gretchen May, who also taught at Hermosa Elementary. They had already been co-workers for 15 years when they married at the Mabel Dodge Lujan House in Taos, New Mexico on May 10, 1991. He severed ties completely, except for his children, and referred to everything before Gretchen as "a previous life".

Gretchen and David celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year. They made each other very happy. David began working at the Door of Opportunity, and later had the maintenance contract for High Desert, which cares for the developmentally disabled and others. He was loved and respected by the staff and the clients.

Gretchen Matlock preceded him in death. She is survived by her son, Tate May, and his daughter, Sadie, as well as Sadie's mother, Kylie. "Papa Dave" was a kind, loving grandfather. He was also preceded in death by his brother Glenn Matlock and sister Sybil Calvin.

No one was ready for David Matlock's sudden absence. He leaves behind many who loved him and more questions than answers. His passing is mourned by his family and every life he touched.

Service