Joyce Ann Mathews (née O’Hara), a registered dietitian whose professional life was devoted to patient-centered nutrition care and whose personal life revolved around family, learning, and the outdoors, died on December 23, 2025. She was 77.

Born on January 23, 1948, in Gary, Indiana, Joyce O’Hara was the daughter of Leo and Cecilia O’Hara. She grew up in Northwest Indiana and attended Thomas A. Edison Junior–Senior High School, where she developed an early interest in science and service that would later shape her career.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Purdue University in August 1971, entering the profession at a time when clinical nutrition was becoming an increasingly integral part of modern medicine. Over the course of her career, she worked in medical facilities in Lafayette, Indiana; at Saint Mary’s Medical Center in Hobart, Indiana; and at Baraga County Memorial Hospital in L’Anse, Michigan.

Professionally, Mrs. Mathews worked to translate complex nutritional guidance into practical, humane advice. She particularly enjoyed working directly with patients, counseling them on diet and health. Her daughters fondly recall accompanying her to professional conferences and community health fairs, where hands-on demonstrations—complete with plastic “fake food” and interactive “build your healthy plate” displays—made nutrition education accessible and engaging.

Outside of her professional life, Mrs. Mathews cultivated a wide range of interests. She was an avid knitter, enjoyed cards, puzzles and board games, and loved camping, hiking and especially the water—Lake Superior, dunes, canoeing, and lake activities. Animals held a special place in her life, reflecting a quiet empathy that extended to all living things. Friends and family remember her as steady, thoughtful, and deeply attentive—someone who listened closely and offered guidance without judgment.

She is survived by her husband, Mike Mathews; her daughters, Diane Laramie, who is married to Bob Laramie; Jessie Wetzel, who is married to John Wetzel; and Trish Mathews; and her grandchildren, Anthony Laramie, Stephanie Laramie, Addyson Wetzel, Aurora Wetzel, and Aubrey Wetzel. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Malachi Ramos, Noah Mitchell, and Joseph Laramie. She is survived as well by her brothers, Mike O’Hara, who was married to the late Barb O’Hara, and Tom O’Hara, who is married to Cindy O’Hara.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, George O’Hara, who was married to Rochelle O’Hara, and John O’Hara.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Calumet Park Funeral Chapel, 7535 Taft Street, Merrillville, Indiana. Wake and funeral service times will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026 beginning at 10 AM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Ms. Mathews’s memory to The Nature Conservancy, reflecting her lifelong appreciation for the natural world and her belief in stewardship for future generations.