Beale memorial service honors drowning victim, chief master sergeant

Chief Master Sgt. Lee Mattice III, who drowned during a Father's Day kayaking trip that also took the life of his stepson, was remembered Tuesday at a memorial service at Beale Air Force Base as a hero who "spent his last few minutes as he spent his life."

"There was no hesitation. There was no fear," Chief Master Sgt. Carl Rodgers said of Mattice. "There was only determination."

Rodgers was part of the June 19 trip and spoke about Mattice's efforts to save his stepson Tyler Minton, 17, at Daguerre Point Dam on the Yuba River.

Mattice, 43, died "doing what's right" — not what was comfortable or easy, Rodgers said.

More than 500 people attended the service held where Plumas Lake resident Mattice had worked at Beale. Col. Robert Moriarty said he was at the Miami Airport when he read on his BlackBerry device about Mattice's death.

Moriarty remembered Mattice's devotion to family and to the Air Force. "I could never overtask him," Moriarty said. "He was amazing."

"I cannot tell you how proud we were of his accomplishments," Moriarty said of Mattice, the superintendent of the 12th aircraft maintenance unit at Beale.

He recalled the words "Strive for perfection — settle for excellence" that Mattice often spoke and said the dock where the chief master sergeant worked will be named after him.

Lt. Col. Shane Barrett called Mattice the consummate professional and said, "He took care of his airmen."

Mattice, a native of Michigan, served in the Air Force for 23 years. His awards include the Airman's Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. He is survived by his parents, wife retired Master Sgt. Rhonda Mattice, sons Theron Mattice and Andrew Minton and daughter Kaitlin Mattice Berlowitz.

Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Brandt began the memorial service by noting, "All the faiths of the world speak of another life after death."

Chaplain Christian Biscotti spoke near the end of the service about the religious faith of the father and his stepson, a Wheatland High School student.

"Lee and Tyler believed," Biscotti said. "They wait for us in heaven."

"We honor your lives," he said. "We will meet again in the blink of an eye."

CONTACT reporter Ryan McCarthyat 749-4780.