Rev. William Everett "Bill" Matics, 88, of Ravenswood, went to a promised reunion in Heaven on August 10, 2020, from Jackson General Hospital in Ripley, following a long illness. He was born April 14, 1932, in Ravenswood, a son of the late William Guy and Cleta Wade Matics. He was a 1950 graduate of Ravenswood High School, where he played football and was a starting guard on the first-ever Red Devil basketball team to advance to the West Virginia State Basketball Tournament. He attended West Virginia University, playing on the WVU Mountaineer freshman basketball team, before enlisting in the United States Navy and serving for four years. He served on the catapult launching crew of an aircraft carrier (USS Palau) for two years ferrying F-4 jet fighters to Japan during the Korean War and training reserve fighter pilots, seeing tours in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Mediterranean and Caribbean seas, and through the Panama Canal. He then served two years with the VP-49 seaplane patrol squadron on the island of Bermuda. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in April, 1955 at Boston, MA. He worked at Kaiser Aluminum, owned his own egg business and worked for Westvaco Corporation for 27 years as a woodyard manager and forest technician. He loved hunting, boating, camping and fishing on the Elk River and was a dedicated Red Devils and WVU sports fan. He founded the Independent United Brethren (IUB) Church of Ravenswood in 1971, where he served as pastor for 49 years before retiring due to his declining health. He preached the gospel for over five decades first as an evangelist and then as a church pastor (four years at Krebs Chapel in Mason County and 49 years at IUB). God richly blessed and used him to help many souls find salvation through the years. His great joy and blessing were his five sons, their wives, nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 67 years, Hazel Eileen Myers Matics, beloved son, William Bret Matics, his parents, father- and mother-in-law Reed and Hazel Myers, brother Ed Matics, brother-in-law Walt Damron, nieces Debbie Damron Randall and Dee Ann Damron, nephew Dwight Damron, and great-granddaughter Ryann Everly Fisher. He is survived by sons, Greg (Bev), Drake (Kathy), Rev. Matt (Belinda) and Chad (Kristina), all of Ravenswood; grandchildren, Kasey (Kelby) of Ravenswood, Scotti (Wes) Foltz of Morgantown, Bret Matics of Ravenswood, Josh (Ashley) Matics of Bondurant, Iowa, Sierra (Jacob) Fisher of Ravenswood, Dr. Travis Matics of Chicago, Illinois, Kayla (Ryan) Bargerstock of Ravenswood, Sean Matics of Ravenswood, and Jordan Matics of Ravenswood; great-grandchildren, Kaden, Grayson, Kerrigan and Piper Gray of Ravenswood, Nora and Katy Foltz of Morgantown, Brooklyn and Camden Matics of Bondurant, Iowa, Jaxon, Dylan and Kori Fisher of Ravenswood and Elijah Bargerstock of Ravenswood; brother Bob (Wanda) Matics of Williamstown; sister-in-law, Susan Damron of Columbus, OH; nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews and families; and his beloved IUB church family. Visitation is set for Thursday, August 13, 2020 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at Roush Funeral Home in Ravenswood. Funeral services are set for Friday, August 14, 2020, at 2:00 pm at Independent United Brethren Church of Ravenswood with the Rev. Anton Hager officiating. Burial will follow in the Ravenswood Cemetery with full graveside military rites provided by Jackson County Honor Guard. Condolences may be expressed to the family at roush94@yahoo.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roushfuneralhome.