John Patrick Matthews

John Patrick "Pat" Matthews of Burlington, passed away on Monday, December 22, 2025, after a brief illness.

Pat is survived by his brother Charles Matthews and Laura (Barr) Matthews of Amherst, NH; his brother Edward Matthews and Melinda Young of Cardiff, CA; his sister Maureen Matthews Beal of Littleton; nieces and nephews Patrick Matthews, Emily (Matthews) Rosa and her husband Raphael Rosa, Timothy Matthews, Brian Matthews, Alexandra Matthews, Thomas Beal, Robert Beal, and Michael Beal. He is also survived by his dedicated caregivers at Towards Independent Living and Learning (TILL)'s Sandy Brook B residence in Burlington and Day Habilitation program in Billerica. Pat was 72.

Pat was born May 12, 1953, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the late Edward I. Matthews, Jr. and Mary "Mae" A, (Lynch) Matthews. An otherwise healthy baby boy, Pat's parents noticed that Pat exhibited some delayed development at around 18 months. He stopped chattering and began exhibiting unusual behaviors and avoiding eye contact. They brought their concerns to their pediatrician, who suggested he might be deaf. After two specialists disproved this theory, they were advised to remove Pat's two brothers from the home to provide Pat with their full attention. This too proved unsuccessful.

The new parents were determined to find a cure for their son. They took Pat to several doctors and by age 3 received a diagnosis: Pat was autistic, a condition poorly understood at the time. Ed and Mae were devastated but worked relentlessly to find a cure on Pat's behalf, never giving up hope. Now armed with a diagnosis, they launched into learning everything they could about it, sparing no expense on specialists, private schools and, later, on stays for Pat in private hospitals, all promising a cure. Pat's care was always first and foremost in any major decision.

As time went on it became harder to keep Pat at home with his two brothers. He required day and night supervision, and they were increasingly concerned about his safety. This led them to make the difficult decision to admit their son into Allentown (PA) State Hospital. Ed, a computer engineer, began looking for jobs in states that had better mental healthcare and soon landed a position in Waltham. The family moved in 1963 and admitted Pat to the Metropolitan State Hospital Children's Unit in November 1964.

Care at Met State was essentially custodial, and conditions were distressing - particularly for children and young adults. Pat's parents began looking for alternatives, but private care was unaffordable for their growing family.

When the state began deinstitutionalization, Ed and Mae were at the front of the line, placing Pat in one of the nonprofit TILL's newly established residential care homes. In 1982 Pat moved into TILL's transitional home, a former staff residence on the Met State grounds. From there Pat moved with the same group of clients to TILL homes in Concord, Lexington, and Arlington before finally settling in 1982 into a newly built home in Burlington.

Ed and Mae's hope for a cure was never realized, however, TILL has addressed their desires for his care and welfare. Pat was a creature of habit, and TILL kept his housemates together whenever possible, fulfilling his need for security. For 43 years, TILL's care allowed Pat to age in place and participate in his favorite activities – particularly long walks, live music, and mealtimes with his TILL family. Our family is grateful for the hard work and dedication of all the TILL staff members that made all this possible.

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to the TILL Sandy Brook Music Program: https://www.tillinc.org/about/donations

Funeral services and interment will be held privately.