Paul Mattern Obituary
Paul worked as a postal clerk for the United States Postal Service in Monsey, New York, for 40 years before retiring in 2008. He was born on December 2, 1947, in Suffern, New York, to Paul M. Return and Mary Avenall. He was educated in the Suffern school system and earned an associate's degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Blauvelt. Paul proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1967 to 1970, attaining the rank of Specialist 5th Class, and served during the Vietnam conflict. He was a member of the Vietnam Veterans Association Chapter 3-3-3 in New City, New York.
On September 30, 1972, he married his beloved wife, Patricia Ann Reilly, at St. Edmund's Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Paul will be remembered as a devoted husband, grandfather, and friend. He was a kind, gentle person who loved a good joke. He had a deep love for music, especially songs from the 1950s, and enjoyed organizing his album collection.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia; his daughter, Kathleen; his granddaughter, Chloe; his brothers, Jim and Richard; his sister, Judy Gehrid; and many loving nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Wyman-Fisher Funeral Home on Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at St. Aedan Church. Burial will follow at Fred Loescher Veterans Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, friends may send donations to the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 3-3-3 in New City, New York.
VVA CHAPTER #333
PO Box 243
New City, New York, 10956-0243
p: (845) 504-5424
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4 Entries
Sharon Lieberman-Wallace
February 1, 2026
I've known Paul since September 1973, when his sister Judi introduced me to her entire family. I was the "new kid" in our home room at Suffern High School. My family had moved to Tallman, NY, the day after I had gotten out of 9th grade in Windsor, CT, and it was a huge adjustment for me. The only people I knew here were a couple of aunts, one Uncle and a couple of cousins - my grandmother and more aunts and cousins followed soon after.
That first day in Home Room, I was sitting in a far corner when Judi came over and introduced herself, saying she was going to be my friend, and then she made sure I knew how to spell her first name. It was Judi with an "I", not a "Y" . We got to know each other quickly, and soon I'd be over at the Matterns ' household quite often. They all made me feel very welcome there, as if I were one more of their family. Paul would tease me as if her were my older brother, which was something I wasn't used to. It was funny how he just started right in on me, and I have to admit I can be very gullible, and Paul found that out really quickly!
Paul was great with jokes and had great wit and infectious humor. He also had this great smile. You couldn't help but smile when you were around Paul.
I also remember hearing him sing. I know Rich mentioned in his memory that they did the Barbershop Quartet; it was so cool to hear them sing!
Paul was always kind and caring as well. He was definitely a family man definitelyd the love of his family always. He loved his parents and his siblings very much. The timing of Paul's death happens to have fallenhappened days after the anniversary of his mother's passing. So, I feel that Mrs. Mattern was waiting for Paul so she can bring him to heaven with her. This way, she will be with him as he meets up with his father, his sister Mary Beth, and Richard's wife Kathryn. Paul will be welcomed by his family members who he hasn't seen in a long time, but I know he has never forgotten. I know that Paul's faith has kept his family members with him whenever he needed them, just as James, Joanne, Richard, Judi and Alan and all their children and grandchildern will do now for Paul.
Paul will be your great big bright star in the sky, he will be your guiding light and he will always, be there for you, just like before, except now his spirit will always be with you. He will be in your heart and at times when you really feel you need him, or if you hear a certain word/phase/song, that reminds you of Paul, all you will have to do is close your eyes and he will be right there with you. Paul will always be with you whenever you need him.
Take your time when you are grieving, don't listen to anybody tell you that it's time to live your life now. Only you can make the decission. People grieve in different ways, and some grieve longer than others, some put on a "happy" face for others just to get them off their backs about getting "back to the real world" Only you can decide that.
I don't want to sound like I'm preaching, it's just something I have experienced a few times myself and it's been hard.
May Paul's life be a Blessing, and may he rest in peace.
Thank you for your friendship, kindness, and making me feel part of your family.
Richard Mattern
January 31, 2026
To my dear brother Paul,
I'm going to miss you Big Brother. We did so many things together, whether it was bowling, golf, softball, hiking, and even sang in the Rockland County (NY) Barbershop Chorus. We worked in the Monsey Post Office together for 27 years.
Paul had a great sense of humor, telling one joke after another. We chatted on the phone this past Christmas 2025 for nearly 2 hours. Most of that time we were laughing.
Bro, you are now in heaven with Mom & Dad, your sister MaryBeth, your brother David and my wife Kathryn Patterson Mattern.
Fly with the angels Paul.
I miss you so much. Rest in Peace.
Your brother Richard from
Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina
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