Ron Matteson: 1947-2023

Ronald Roy Matteson, beloved father, friend and artist, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away peacefully at the age of 76 on December 28, 2023. He was with family in his final days on a beautiful farm in Hudson, Michigan. 

Born to David H. Matteson and Betty (Palmer) Matteson on January 12, 1947, in Detroit, Ron is survived by his five children, Heidi, David, Ragan, Walker and Levi, as well as his grandson Joshua and great-grandchildren Charlie and Noah. 

Ron and his only brother, David C. Matteson, were raised in Michigan. He attended classes in a one-room schoolhouse and quickly advanced in his studies. The family moved to Arizona when he was young, and he couldn’t wait to live in the Old West like a real cowboy.

Ron had always expressed a deep interest in art and creativity and even crafted a replica saloon inside his teenage home for friends and family to enjoy. As a junior at Tucson High, he was commissioned by the student council to illustrate posters for every football game of the season, which were also featured in the local newspaper. He shadowed his uncle Bill, learning how to paint ornate lettering and signs on windows at a young age – a skill he would later focus into a successful sign painting business called The Artery.

He married Debi LaValle in 1965, and the arrival of their daughter Heidi soon followed. Ron worked for AJ Bayless and eventually became an art director for Thompson Industries, producing well-known designs for large brands, such as the classic KFC bucket and the American version of Cup Noodles.

Ron adapted his artistic expertise into a teaching career, becoming a commercial art and airbrushing instructor at Scottsdale VoTech. In 1976 he married Julie Peden and welcomed two more children, David and Ragan. Ron and Julie worked to craft their Tempe home into a historic recreation of a century-old dry goods and general store and maintained several consignment booths that sold antiques.

Ron became the advertising art professor and Dept. Chairman of Maricopa Technical Community College. Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, he taught at Gateway Community College and East Valley Institute of Technology, where he left a lasting impression on generations of students, many of whom went on to have successful careers in the creative arts. He designed curriculum for colleges across Arizona and helped craft Telly Award-winning ad campaigns for Riester Advertising Agency.

He married Becki Kennedy in 1993, and they became co-owners and operators of Janet’s Estate Sales and the Kennedy Auction House, where Ron was the speed-talking colonel. Two additional sons, Walker and Levi, were soon born and the family moved to Texas. Ron began a stint working with The Art Institute – winning the Summit Award of Excellence and Triple Crown Award. His talents led him to create a variety of work, both professional and personal, from logo designs and detailed paintings to lifelike sculptures.

Returning to Arizona, Ron taught elementary-aged students at the Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics. His final home in Phoenix was artfully designed to reflect his eclectic collections, and Ron embraced the cowboy persona that he had admired since childhood. He converted an old chuck truck, restored gas pumps, maintained collections of antiques and was always on the hunt for a yard sale bargain. An avid car guy, his collection included a 1932 Ford panel truck, 1956 MK II Jaguar, a 1965 Falcon Sprint convertible, a Model T, and many more.

Family was paramount to Ron, and he spent decades traveling, researching and compiling the family’s history – passing it along for future generations of Mattesons, Chapps, Pedens and Kennedys. In his own words from his 1985 high school reunion: “I’ve learned that money wasn’t what I wanted. Adventure wasn’t enough. Friends were better. But family is most important.”

He will be missed but never forgotten.

Click here to view the obituary that was published in the Arizona Republic.