Richard Frank Mattas, 69, of rural Elizabeth, Illinois, passed away peacefully at home on December 31, 2016 after a short struggle with cancer. A private memorial service will be held. The family will welcome all to a celebration of Rich’s life at the Galena Territory Homeowner’s Club, 2000 Territory Dr., Galena, IL on Saturday, January 14, 2017 from 2 to 5 pm. Burial will be held at a later date. Cremation rites have been accorded. The Furlong Funeral Chapel, Galena is assisting the family. He was born in Chicago on September 14, 1947 to Charles J. Mattas and Lillian (Sebek) Mattas. He and his wife, Laurie, (Loretta Urbaczewski) were married in Stratford, CT, on June 27, 1970. In 1965, Rich graduated from Morton West High School in Berwyn, IL, where he was an outstanding scholar and athlete and a member of their undefeated football team. He continued to play football at Yale, capping his career with the infamous Yale-Harvard game of 1968 that ended in a tie and was immortalized in the 2008 documentary, “Harvard Beats Yale 29-29”.  After graduating from Yale in 1969 with a B.A. in physics, he continued his education at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana where he earned an M.S. and Ph.D. from the department of Metallurgical Engineering. Rich’s entire professional career was spent at Argonne National Laboratory outside of Chicago where he ultimately became Manager of the Fusion Power Program and was awarded the prestigious title of Senior Engineer. The capstone of his career was working on the development of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) that is currently being built in France. After building a weekend home in the Galena Territory in northwest Illinois, Rich and Laurie became involved with local groups including the Natural Area Guardians and the Galena Territory Association where Rich served on the board and as chair of the Greenspace Committee.  They retired and moved to Jo Daviess County in 2003-4 and Rich immediately became an active volunteer in many organizations.  He served on the steering committee of the Jo Daviess Leadership Forum, and on the board of the Apple River Fort.  He was member of the Jo Daviess County Greenways and Trails Committee and Co-Chair of the Riverfront Development Committee, part of the Galena Vision 2020 project. He was immediate past president of the Galena Rotary Club and was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton, IL.  But the organization he loved most and devoted much time and talent to was the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF).  He served multiple terms as a board member, one term as president of the board and 6 months as Interim Executive Director.  His numerous contributions to JDCF ranged from providing photos and designing audio-visual presentations to conducting eagle-watching tours. A Renaissance man, philosopher, and bon vivant, Rich pursued a wide range of interests in his retirement.  He loved photographing and painting wildlife and enjoyed writing both poetry and prose.  He was a blacksmith and a bartender and a connoisseur of old movies and fine beer. He will be greatly missed by innumerable friends. Rich is survived by his wife, his brother, Charles B. (Eileen Rieger) Mattas of Woodstock, IL, dear cousin, Charlene Touzil, of Westmont, IL, nephews Jeffrey (Denise Pine) Mattas of Marshall, IL, and David (Valerie Caleca) Mattas of San Diego, CA, and grand-nephew Robert Jeffrey Mattas and grand-niece Elizabeth Mattas both of Marshall, IL. He was preceded in death by his parents.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, P.O. Box 216, Elizabeth, IL or at www.jdcf.org. The family wishes to thank Dr. Noelle LoConte, the kind staff at the Carbone Cancer Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the caring staff of Hospice of Dubuque for their support.   Remembrances and condolences may be shared at www.furlongfuneralchapel.com