Hewitt W. Matthews, III

Obituary For Hewitt W. Matthews, III

Dr. Hewitt W. "Ted" Matthews, III
12/1/1944 - 9/26/2025

Celebration of Life Service for Dr. Hewitt W. (Ted) Matthews III Associate Pastor, Fellowship of Faith Church International, Former Senior Vice President for Health Sciences & Dean of the College of Pharmacy at Mercer University.

Visitation at Gus Thornhill’s Funeral Home:Thursday, October 16, 2025; 10:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Homegoing Ceremony at Fellowship of Faith Church International, 2553 Connally Dr., East Point, GA 30344. Friday, October 17, 2025; 11:00 AM

Interment: Friday, October 17, 2025 Immediately following the Homegoing Service: College Park Memorial Gardens, 3600 N Adams St, College Park, Ga 30337

Pastor Ted, as he was affectionally called, was married to the beautiful Marlene Mouzon from. Charlotte, South Carolina. They raised two sons: Derrick and David, who blessed them with three beautiful granddaughters. He is survived by his only sister, Lydella, fondly called Toby, and preceded in death by his parents Mr. and Mrs.Hewitt William Matthews.

A faithful servant of God, Dr. Matthews (Pastor Ted) devoted 46 years to the Fellowship of Faith Church International as our cherished Associate Pastor. He was the first Elder appointed to pastorship at the Fellowship of Faith Church. His legacy is imprinted on every ministry he touched—most notably through his dynamic leadership in the Children’s Ministry, the Marriage Ministry, Graduate Recognition “Pearls of Wisdom”, and as the founder of the Health and Wellness Committee. Dr. Matthews was a pillar of wisdom, compassion, and spiritual insight to all who sat under his tutelage. He walked among us as a giant of faith.

Dr. Matthews led the College of Pharmacy at Mercer University for 27 years, retiring in 2017. Dr. Matthews began his association with Mercer as a student. After earning a degree in chemistry from Clark Atlanta University in 1966, he enrolled in Mercer’s Southern School of Pharmacy, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees (1971 and 1973 respectively) in pharmaceutical biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where he was a National Institutes of Health Pre-Doctoral Fellow and a Fellow of the American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education. His alma mater in the fall of 2015 awarded him with a Citation of Merit, one of the highest awards given by the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He completed postdoctoral work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Hospital Infectious Disease program. He joined the faculty of Mercer’s School of Pharmacy in 1973. His commitment to teaching excellence earned him the Outstanding Teacher Award. Over the next decade, he held a number of administrative as well as faculty positions, including associate dean for the School of Pharmacy and assistant provost of the University. After serving for a year as interim dean, he was appointed dean of the School of Pharmacy in 1990. Over the years he has received numerous awards from state and national pharmacy and pharmacy education organizations. Dr. Matthews was instrumental in establishment of the Mercer Health Sciences Center, and in 2012, was named senior vice president for health sciences, in addition to his responsibilities as dean of the College of Pharmacy.