Tuesday, April 16, 2019
My wife and I are in shock and saddened by the sudden passing of our noble friend John Mattis. To his brother Joe (whom he always referred to as the HANDSOME one...) Our condolences. To all of his other siblings, nieces and nephews and extended family my wife Kelly and I have all of you in our thoughts and prayers.
I first met John by telephone. He had called my fiancé, Kelly Burgess to congratulate her on our upcoming wedding back in 2005. During our courtship, Kelly would often mention his names many times. Moreover how "smitten" John was with her. During his time with Roger Kahn, He would often come to the Los Angeles Times building to do research on baseball stories and baseball columns for Roger's book "The Boys of Summer". But after talking with him that first time on the telephone he confessed to me that many times he came to the newspaper building just to come hang out with Kelly.
Kelly was the the Executive Administrator to the Sports Editor of the L.A.Times for 28 years and had a vast knowledge of all the sport archival information. Plus being tall, blonde, pretty, and enjoyed NASCAR and baseball, John made sure to maintain a lifelong friendship with my wife.
So, the first thing John asked me was, where is my family was from?. A east coast introduction, something a kid from the west coast who studied in the east learned early on...it was just something everybody back east did. When I told him my Mom was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, he said. " Well you can't be all that bad to marry Kelly, I approve, you have my blessing"
Since that phone call back in 2005 John and I would talk on the phone many times, mainly about baseball, but also about Kelly and our life together since our wedding day.
He was always there to encourage us. When we left Los Angeles and moved to Boise, Idaho several years ago he kept threatening to come visit, since we live on a golf course, John was so angry, yet excited about this fact, because neither Kelly or I play golf. We will miss the phone calls, the Christmas card and the obligatory Xmas letter he would send telling us of his travels, and his visits with family and friends. All of whom we have never met, yet we seem to know you all.
My biggest regret is not taking John up on his offer to go with him to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown...
Kelly and I were deeply impacted by this news. We extended our thoughts & prayers to all his family & friends.
Scott Bassin
