Actor. He is best remembered for his recurring voice portrayal of Wally the Walrus, the comedic foil to Woody the Woodpecker, for Walter Lantz Productions. Born John Eugene Mather, he was raised in a farming family and after attaining his degree in broadcasting from the University of Illinois, he began his career performing on radio in his home state beginning with him having a regular role on "First Nighter." After being discovered by actor and comedian Jack Benny during a dinner conference for the communications department at DePaul University, he was so impressed by his professionalism, dark good looks, and versatile voice that he arranged for him to relocate to California and begin a career in the film industry beginning with him starring in a minor role in "Nellie the Indian Chief's Daughter" (1938). From there, he would go on to enjoy a successful career as a character actor appearing in over 95 features in a 25-year career under the name of Jack Mather (having been christened that per Benny himself). Quite often, he was typecast as husbands, fathers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, aristocrats, soldiers, retail clerks, blue-collared guys, boyfriends, aristocrats, pharmacists, cowboys, sheriffs, clergymen, henchmen, mailmen, landlords, neighbors, detectives, reporters, policemen, waiters, butlers, bartenders, curmudgeons, educators, and patriarchs. He appeared in such feature films as "A Haunting We Will Go" (1939), "Crop Chasers" (1939), "Up in the Air" (1940), "You're Out of Luck" (1941), "Baby Puss" (1943), "Batty Baseball" (1944), "Duck Pimples" (1945), "Bathing Buddies" (1946), "Well Oiled" (1947), "The Mad Hatter" (1948), "The Jackpot" (1950), "Let's Make It Legal" (1951), "Dreamboat" (1952), "Vicki" (1953), "Broken Lance" (1954), "The View from Pompey's Head" (1955), "Behind the High Wall" (1956), "The Ten Commandments" (1956), "Mister Cory" (1957), "Live Fast, Die Young" (1958), and "Some Like It Hot" (1959). During the advent of television, he flourished as a household name appearing in numerous guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Studio 57," "Damon Runyon Theatre," "Dragnet," "West Point," "The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin," "Tombstone Territory," "Frontier Doctor," "26 Men," "Zane Grey Theatre," "Mackenzie's Raiders," "The Real McCoys," "Sugarfoot," "Colt .45," "Lawman," "Death Valley Days," "The Lawless Years," "M Squad," "Bronco," "Shotgun Slade," "Tales of Wells Fargo," "Riverboat," "The Tall Man," "Bonanza," "Outlaws," "Coronado 9," "The Barbara Stanwyck Show," "Maverick," "77 Sunset Strip," "Ben Casey," "Mister Ed," "Surfside 6," and "Wagon Train". In addition, he was voiced the title role on the radio edition of "The Cisco Kid" and equally appeared on such syndicated programs as "The Whistler," "Inner Sanctum," "Lux Radio Theatre," "Meet Corliss Archer," "Suspense," "Fibber McGee and Molly," and "The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show." During his career, he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, was supportive of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, was a vocal instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, had been a regular parishioner of the Catholic church, was an active member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, presided as a chairman for his local charters of the American Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, served on several humanitarian councils during World War II (one of which helped establish the foundation for the United Nations), and he was married to fellow actress Rosalie Encell from 1933 until his death (their union produced two children). After withdrawing from acting in 1962, he moved back to his native Illinois and for the remainder of his life, he served as a well-respected media instructor for Columbia College in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and being a generous benefactor for several state parks, missions, and hospitals. A lifelong smoker, he died from complications of a heart attack.