The Randolph-Macon College community is saddened by the passing of Professor Emeritus of Theatre Joe Mattys, Jr., on Tuesday, August 11 at the age of 80. 

Mattys and his wife, Marilyn, joined RMC in 1990 when both accepted positions at the College, Joe as the new Director of Theatre. He spent 25 years at RMC, teaching, advising, supervising senior projects, and directing more than 50 mainstage productions by the time he retired. Beyond an outstanding teacher and director, Mattys was a supportive colleague, mentor, advocate for students, and a steady presence in the life of the College and the community.

The Mattyses were perhaps best known for the beloved A Christmas Carol (adapted for the stage by Marilyn and directed by Joe), which they brought to the stage for years. It was a community production, featuring students, professors, alumni, and other community members, and a mainstay for Ashlanders and Yellow Jackets alike. 

In his role as professor, Mattys created opportunities for students to participate, grow, and discover confidence in themselves. Deeply committed to his pupils, when more students auditioned than could be accommodated, he found a way to add productions rather than turn them away.

In 2009, Mattys was recognized with the Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Faculty Award, the College’s highest faculty honor. He also received the Bruce Unger Award for retiring faculty when he stepped down from full-time teaching in 2014. Mattys continued to be engaged with campus life in his retirement, teaching part-time and directing special productions, and was honored this spring with the Noë-Kilgore Award recognizing outstanding service from emeritus faculty, including the return of A Christmas Carol to campus in 2024.

Mattys grew up primarily in Los Alamos, N.M., and earned a B.A. in Fine Arts from Colorado College in 1967, where he co-founded The Theatre Workshop, a student-run theatre company that still operates today. He also earned an M.A. from Illinois State University, served in the Special Services division of the U.S. Army, and earned an M.F.A. from the University of Virginia.

His professional path, alongside Marilyn, took him to Simpson College in Iowa, the Pit & Balcony Theatre in Saginaw, Mich., Wayside Theatre in Middletown, Va., and back to the University of Virginia before joining the RMC faculty.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Theatre program at Randolph-Macon or to CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation.