02/15/2026
She loved frozen Twix bars!❤️
I didn’t know Jodi for long, not in the way her closest people did, but she still managed to leave a mark on me — sharp, unexpected, and unforgettable. She was the kind of woman who didn’t soften herself for anyone. She walked into a room with her truth fully intact, sarcasm ready, humor alive, and a backbone that could hold up a mountain. You always knew where you stood with her, and somehow that honesty felt like a gift.
I wish I’d had more time with her. There was a version of the world where she and I could have become real friends — the kind who trade stories, laugh too loudly, and call each other out when needed. I felt that possibility, even if it never had the chance to grow. And losing that “almost” hurts in its own quiet way.
But even from the edges of her life, I saw her strength. I saw her spark. I saw the way she loved — not softly, but fiercely, in her own unmistakable style. She didn’t pretend, she didn’t sugarcoat, and she didn’t waste time on anything that wasn’t real. That alone made her rare.
Fifty‑seven years is far too few for someone with that much fire. My heart aches for her family and for the friends who stood closest to her, who knew her in all the ways I didn’t get to. Their grief is a testament to the force she was.
I was late in knowing her, but I’m grateful I knew her at all. She reminded me that some people live with a kind of honesty that can’t be taught — only witnessed. And I will carry that with me.
Jodi had a spine of steel and a heart that loved on its own terms. She mattered. She still does. And the world feels a little different without her in it. A Personal Tribute to Jodi Mathews.
Jodi Rae Mathews, age 57, beloved mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend and counselor has passed away after a valiant battle with...
