 One of his fellow churchgoers at Pinecrest was Buffalo Bob Smith of "Howdy Doody" television fame in the 1950s.He also remained involved with IFT by volunteering in an organ donor program and was seen at the IFT Annual Meeting from 1992 to 1997.Mattson died in Asheville, North Carolina on May 21, 1998 of a heart attack following battles with pneumonia and lung infections.