Matthew H. Cavanaugh, III

CLINTON

Matthew H. Cavanaugh, III, 85, of Greenville, NH and Clinton, MA, left us on Sunday, January 13, 2019, to be with the love of his life, his wife, Alice T. (Manning) Cavanaugh, who passed away on December 14, 2018. His heart was broken.

Born and raised in Clinton, the son of Matthew H. and Rita E. (Freel) Cavanaugh, Jr., he was predeceased by his brothers, Ronald and Terrance Cavanaugh, and his nephew, David Cavanaugh.

He proudly served his country in Korea, aboard the USS Bearss (DD654) from 1951 to 1954, and was a multi-term Past Commander and lifetime member of the VFW Post 523 in Clinton. While Commander, he assisted his fellow veterans and his community by having numerous fund-raising events to benefit many community organizations. A man of many talents, Matt “The Cat” was one of the first in New England to become a four-color pressman, working at the former Colonial Press, Clinton, and then Plimpton Press, Norwood. He then went on to become a favorite bartender in Clinton, working at the VFW and the NEA. He started PDQ Plastering in 1987, and worked for a number of contractors in the area.

An avid sports enthusiast, he followed the Yankees and the Giants, and was also an excellent trivia buff, who would challenge any question, and many a verbal dispute would ensue, to which he would always have the statistics/knowledge behind him; as he would say, “do not go into a battle of wits unarmed.” He loved the water, and many may remember him as the “Beacon” of the Pond.

The Cavanaugh Family Patriarch leaves his saddened children: Donna and Clyde Cadoret, and Karen Johnson, all of New Ipswich, NH, Matthew IV and Brenda (Marcheterre) Cavanaugh, and Patrick Cavanaugh, all of Clinton; 11 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-grandchildren, who adored their “Papa”; his nephew, Ronald Cavanaugh; and many cousins from the Cavanaugh, Freel, Conroy, Pender and Stewart Families.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to MCS Hospice of Southern New Hampshire.

Funeral services will be held at a date and time to be announced. McNally & Watson Funeral Home, 304 Church St., Clinton, is directing arrangements.