John Lee Matthews

1937 - 2022

Noank - John Lee Matthews, 84, of Noank, passed away at home July 28, 2022, after a battle with cancer. He was born in Syracuse, N.Y., Dec. 17, 1937, and was the son of the late Charles William Matthews and the late Ottilie Glanert Matthews. He is survived by his loving wife of 25 years Debra Laffargue Matthews; his sister Judith Gunter (James); his nephew Kurt Welling (Chelsey); his brother-in-law David Laffargue; his son Scott Matthews; his daughter Susan Cogshell; his granddaughter Elizabeth Madden O'Brien (Steve); his grandson Christopher Madden; as well as many beloved members of the Matthews clan and many dear friends.

John graduated from high school in Carthage, N.Y., and went on to attend college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., earning a degree in metallurgical engineering in 1960. He was a proud member of the Alpha Chapter of Theta Xi fraternity, and enjoyed periodic reunions with his fraternity brothers.

After college, John worked for Union Carbide, Carrier and Industrial Fabrication until he became the owner of a hardware store on Cape Cod. Upon closing the store, he went to work for General Dynamics, ultimately retiring from Electric Boat in 2005.

John had many interests that he was passionate about. He loved his golf - both playing and watching. He especially loved being able to play courses that held professional tournaments, so that he could better visualize the course when he watched on TV. He was an avid fan of women's basketball, most importantly UConn and CT Sun, holding season tickets to both for many years and traveling far and wide to see the UConn women play in conference and NCAA tournaments. Traveling with his wife was his greatest passion. As soon as he returned from one trip, planning for the next had to begin. A month or two before the scheduled trip, he would start the countdown for the number of "get ups" until the start of the trip. The Matthews family reunion was a major highlight every other summer for him - drinking beer, eating lobster, creating unique cocktails dubbed "prototypes," and just spending time with family around the fire.

We give our heartfelt thanks to the nurses, aides and volunteers at Hartford Hospital Hospice who kept him comfortable throughout his illness and to the many friends who provided support.

At John's request, there will be no service or calling hours. A Celebration of Life will be held at a time convenient for the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, 415 Crossway Park drive, Suite D, Woodbury, New York 11797, at lustgarten.org, or Death with Dignity National Center, PO Box 2009, Portland, OR 97208 at deathwithdignity.org or to the charity of one's choice. Please visit www.byles.com to sign the online register or to share a memory.