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Charles Robert Mathis IV, known affectionately as Robbie, age 65, a resident of Holly Hill, Florida, passed away on January 22, 2026. He was born on December 2, 1960, in Gainesville, Florida, to Charles Robert Mathis III and Jane Frances Lockard Gurnow. He moved to DeLand in 1970 and then to Lake Helen where he grew up attending local schools including DeLand High School. Robbie went on to graduate with Blue Key honors from the University of Florida (B.A.) and University of Florida College of Law (J.D.) in 1987. He was an active alumni member of the Florida alpha chapter of Phi Delta Theta.
Since 2023 Robbie has served as Chief Legal Counsel and Executive Vice President for Brown & Brown Insurance in Daytona, Florida. Prior to working with Brown and Brown, Robbie served as Senior Vice President of KBR, Inc., in Houston, Texas, where he had direct responsibility in global energy, technology and international government services areas of the business. He also held various legal roles for both international and domestic organizations including Holland and Knight, LLP, Enron India Private Limited, Prisma Energy Europe Limited, Enron Corp and Lockard Group. He traveled and worked all over the world. Robbie was a highly successful attorney who was well respected in his field and loved by his peers. When not working, Robbie loved to travel, eat gourmet foods, listening to great music, spending time with family and friends, buying fine art, shopping for designer clothing and exploring different cultures. He loved good movies and interesting conversations with people he had met all over the world. More importantly, Robbie was a great friend to many, always had a smile on his face, and was a very kind and generous man to his family and friends. He is survived by his sister, Suzanne Mathis and her husband, Ariel Oren; his brothers, Mark Mathis and Matt Gurnow; his nephew, Nathan Estes, niece Sarah Phillips, nephew Josh Estes, cousins Bonnie Tobias & Debbie Rehder and his dear friend, Kim Booker. He is predeceased in death by his sister, Julie Mathis and his mother, Jane L. Gurnow & his stepfather Joseph Gurnow. Robbie was a very special person and will be missed by all who were blessed to know him, both professionally and personally.
A graveside service will be held on Friday, January 30, 2026, at 12:00 PM at Oakdale Cemetery, 800 N. Clara Avenue, DeLand, FL 32720.
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