John A. Matchette, age 94, and a resident of Palm City, Florida, died peacefully at home on March 16, 2012.

Mr. Matchette was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Florida in 1968.

He attended the University of Wisconsin where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity class of 1938, was a varsity tennis player, excelled in varsity track and field, and played competitive golf. John Matchette was a pilot with over 8000 hours. His flying career started as a member of the U.S. Army Ferry Command in 1942. From there he was hired to fly for Pan American Airways out of Dinner Key in Coconut Grove, Florida. He volunteered to transfer to Avianca Airlines when the U.S. government put out a call for Spanish speaking pilots to go to Colombia to replace the Avianca pilots that went back to Germany to fly for the Luftwaffe at the onset of WWII. He was eventually called home to work for the Nitragin Company Incorporated where he retired as CEO when he was just 49 years old.

After he retired from corporate life he continued to fly and twice flew a single engine Beechcraft Musketeer, solo, from Wichita, Kansas to La Paz, Bolivia, a distance of 4,167 miles much of it over the Amazon jungle.

John Matchette was an avid sportsman. He was a Sports Afield All American twice for his skeet shooting skills having won the World Championship in skeet. He was ultimately inducted into the Wisconsin State Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame in 1995. John was also a world class fisherman. He spent a month fishing in Pias Bay off Panama for Marlin and Sailfish for ABC World Wide of Sports. He often traveled to Mexico on hunting and fishing expeditions with sports writer Tom Guyant of the Milwaukee Journal. Many articles were written for the Journal about these trips. He ran his dog Brandy von Rice III in field trials where he won many ribbons. He tried sky diving, was certified as a boat captain in 1973, and he was certified as a Scuba Diver in 1980.

John Matchette, family man, adventurer-sportsman was loved and admired by all who knew him.

Mr. Matchette is survived by his wife Margaret, his sons Richard of Miami, Dan of Fort Lauderdale, and his daughter Dorie of Palm City, 12 grand children and 7 great grandchildren.

Services: The family plans to have a celebration of his life late in May.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to: Treasure Coast Hospice; 1201 Southeast Indian Street, Stuart, FL 34997, (772) 403-4500, or by, www.tchopsice.org.

Arrangements are entrusted to Treasure Coast Seawinds Funeral Home & Crematory, Family Owned & Operated, Stuart, FL.

Condolences may be expressed at: www.treasurecoastseawinds.com