By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Mathias E. Fuchs Jr. was an accomplished jazz pianist before injuring two of his fingers in an industrial accident in 1946.

He was even better afterward.

He had a distinctive sound that his niece Diane Skillman of Fairfield attributed to the loss of his fingers.

He "could really use those stubs to advantage," she said. "When he played you either had to sing or dance. You couldn't sit still."

Mr. Fuchs, 85, died of congestive heart failure Tuesday at Sunrise Hospice of Hamilton.

He played for decades with the Queen City Jazz Band, Carl Halen's Gin Bottle Seven, and the Fort Hamilton Jazz Band, appearing regularly at the Netherland Plaza Hotel downtown and many other venues between Northern Kentucky and Dayton.

He made two records - one with the Queen City Jazz Band and one with Gin Bottle Seven - in the 1950s. Gin Bottle Seven's Whoopee Makers' Jazz was recently re-released.

Born in Hamilton in 1917, Mr. Fuchs studied piano at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

He married Rita Arno in 1940 and supported his family by working for foundries. Several fingers on his right hand were injured in an accident at the Black and Clawson Co. and two of them required amputation at the first knuckle.

Mr. Fuchs' didn't play for a couple of years after that, but "one day he sat down and started playing," his niece said. "He really worked at it. The sound he created was wonderful."

A generous and kind man of deep religious faith, Mr. Fuchs adored his family and welcomed all sorts of people into his home, according to his daughter, Teresa Jeffries of Hamilton,.

His niece recalled that the Fuchs' home was a gathering place of jazz musicians, including Monty Tabbert, Ralph Sutton and Dick Roberts.

Mr. Fuchs retired from Hamilton Caster in 1984. He played piano publicly until about 15 years ago when arthritis afflicted his hands

In addition to his niece and daughter Teresa, survivors include: Rita Arno Fuchs, his wife of 53 years; three sons, Thomas Fuchsand Michael Fox, both of Hamilton, and Mathias Fuchsof Fairfield; four other daughters, Linda Robbins of Fairfield, Ann Schmidt, of Hamilton, and Rita Enderle and Mary Jo Miller, both of Fairfield; a sister, Elizabeth Smith of Hallettsville, Texas; 24 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Visitation is 10 a.m. today followed by Mass of Christian burial at 11 a.m. at St. Ann Church. Entombment is at St. Stephen's Cemetery.

Memorials: Mercy Franciscan at St. Raphael, 610 High St., Hamilton, Ohio 45011.

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com