Denise Ann

Matysek

Denise Ann Matysek's body departed this earthly world from Wichita Falls, TX on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. While her soul is rejoicing in heaven, there's no doubt that her spirit has relocated to her permanent vacation destination in New Mexico.

One-of-a-kind, Denise loved people; she loved helping them and visiting with them. A psychologist, she retired from North Texas State Hospital in 2020 and recently, Wilbarger General Hospital. She loved her work and her coworkers.  She was a kind soul—always treating everyone with respect. Her quirky sense of humor brought many to laughter, especially through her Facebook posts.

While she suffered much, no one ever heard about her pain; witnessing her sunny disposition left all to believe that she was carefree. She was fiercely independent and seldomly asked anyone for help. Her health challenges would have been enough to make anyone give up, but she overcame each diagnosis with resolution, even beating cancer in 2017. But she knew how to enjoy life despite her poor health.

Her sources of joy included her furry friends throughout the years: Chico and then Mollie and then Harley "Dawg", and finally Lucy "Dawg".  She was an avid reader and writer, although her work was expressed only in her copious private journals and diaries.

She loved to travel anywhere, but especially to the Southwest; finding out-of-the-way places to explore was her specialty. She lived to plan her next vacation, and Sipapu and Taos were among her favorites.

Denise was happiest in the outdoors and surrounded by natural elements. As a small farm child, she enjoyed hunting rabbits and growing a garden. She loved a good fishing trip, which became another lifelong passion. She collected turquoise jewelry, dragonfly ornaments, unusual plants and cacti, walking sticks, Dooney & Bourke purses, Honda cars, and hand-crafted ink pens.

Denise was an artisan. Her interests throughout the years included leather work, soap making, wine making, gardening, and finally, painting.  Even though she didn't start painting until later in life, she excelled quickly and was happiest when surrounded by her painter friends in a studio.  It brought her so much joy.

Denise was the daughter of Charlie Joe and Frances Matysek of Rayland, who preceded her in death in 2021 and 1999, respectively.  She was born in Vernon, TX, on August 9, 1960, attended Lockett Schools, and graduated from Vernon High School. She received her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls.

She is survived by her sister, Cindy, and brother-in-law, Bill Coufal of Vernon; nieces Alexis Synatschk of Springlake, TX and Abbey Dunn of Tucson, AZ; nephew Charlie Coufal of Altus, OK, and 3 great-nieces and 1 great-nephew.

The last entry in her diary included a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."