Sturbridge: William E. Matys, Jr., a long-time resident of Sturbridge, passed away peacefully at the age of 99, surrounded by his loving family.

His wife, Barbara C. (Cudworth) Matys, passed away in 2019.  His daughter, Margaret Matys, passed away in 2020.  He leaves five children, Steve Matys and his wife Julie of Fort Myers, FL, David Matys and his wife Sharon of Grafton, the late Margaret Matys of Southbridge, Sarah Skvir and her husband John of Westwood, Andrew Matys and his wife Anita of Switzerland and Martin Matys and his wife Joan of Shrewsbury; his two sisters, Helen DeWitt of Dudley and Connie Theodoss of Southbridge; his nine grandchildren, Christian, Jenna, Benjamin, Emily, Nicholas, Tobias, Anouk, Jacob and Jamie; and five great grandchildren, Addison, Ellie,  Samuel, Sol and Morgan. Bill was predeceased by his two sisters, Bertha Lyle and Shirley Molt.

Bill was born in 1925 in Clinton, MA, the son of William Matys Sr and Margaret (Bastek) Matys. He attended Southbridge High School and played baseball for the Polish Tigers as a catcher in Southbridge.  He enlisted in the navy immediately upon graduation, serving as a radioman on the USS Hissem during WWII.  After returning home he married Barbara (Cudworth) Matys in 1951, his wife of 68 years.  He was an avid New York Yankees fan.  He was active in Little League and scouting while raising his family in Sturbridge. He worked for more than 30 years at New England Telephone / AT&T before retiring in 1984.

Bill was a kind and gentle man who loved his family above all else. He also loved camping and travel, visiting national parks and landmarks throughout the US, Canada and Europe but was always glad to get home, where he gardened, cared for his lawn, enjoyed the occasional Manhattan and cultivated a cordial relationship with the local chipmunks and turkeys.  He and his family created many, many cherished memories at his home on Fiske Hill.  He spent the last few years of his life in assisted living in Shrewsbury.

His funeral will be held on Friday, April 11th, from the Daniel T. Morrill Funeral Home, 130 Hamilton St., Southbridge, with a Mass at 11:00am in St. Anne Church, 16 Church St., Sturbridge.  Burial will follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Southbridge.  A calling hour in the funeral home will be held on Friday, April 11th, from 9:30 to 10:30am.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the USS Slater Destroyer Escort Historical Museum, PO Box 1926, Albany, NY 12201 or online at www.ussslater.org