Paul Rhodes Mattix Jr., a mechanical engineer, died on April 8 from injuries sustained in a fall in his Potomac home.
Mattix was born in Detroit and raised in Silver Spring. He was a graduate of Montgomery Blair High School and the University of Maryland where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Mattix served as a pilot in the 8th Air Force in England during World War II. After the war he began his engineering career with the Rockville based firm of Nems and Clark.
In 1960 he began working for the Central Intelligence Agency designing gadgets. He worked for the Agency until his retirement in 1985.
He was recognized as a master craftsman of antique reproduction furniture, working primarily in the Chippendale and Queen Anne styles.
He enjoyed gardening and architecture and held a black belt in Karate, which he did not begin to study until the age of 40.
Beginning in 1989, Mattix gave his time to the Potomac Theatre Company as a set designer. He worked building sets for over a decade and then served in a design and advisory capacity.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ann Lykes Mattix, son Paul R. Mattix III, night editor for the Baltimore Sun, and grandchildren Zachary Paul and Hannah Christine Mattix. He was the father of the late Pamela Ann Mattix.
A memorial service was held on April 12.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Paul Mattix Fund, Potomac Theatre Company, 10113 River Rd., Potomac, MD 20854, or to St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church, 10701 Old Georgetown Rd., Rockville, Md. 20852.