William Matos

Naugatuck, CT William F. “Bill” Matos, 85, the husband of Marieta (Swisher) Matos, died peacefully on February 17, 2018 at Glendale Center.

Bill was born on December 9, 1932 in Jamaica, NY a son of the late Manuel and Jenny (Rzknepowski) Matos and had lived in Naugatuck for most of his life. Bill graduated from Naugatuck High School in 1951 and immediately joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served proudly during the Korean Conflict. Bill was an active member of the Gold Star Post 708, American Legion Post 17 and the Polish Falcons Nest 65. Bill worked for 38 years at the footwear division of Uniroyal, Inc. and after that worked for over 15 years as a custodian at City Hill Middle School. While at City Hill, Bill was proud to have served as a mentor to students at City Hill. He also invited a group of about 2 dozen City Hill students to assist him and his brother Manny twice a year placing flags on graves of deceased veterans in local cemeteries. During his time at Naugatuck High School, Bill earned eight varsity sports letters, playing football, baseball and basketball. He was a talented athlete who got involved in umpiring, and he umpired softball games for over 50 years. He also called baseball games from 1957 through 1962 and officiated basketball games for six years. For his talents both as a player and as an umpire, Bill was inducted into the Naugatuck Hall of Fame in 1993.

In addition to his wife Marieta, Bill is survived by his son, Paul S. Matos and his wife, Irene R. Matos; his daughters, Lynn M. Vergnetti and Karen A. Boccuzzi and her husband, Nicholas C. Boccuzzi, Jr.; his brother, Manuel P. “Manny” Matos; his grandchildren, Sara Vergnetti, Nicholas C. Boccuzzi, III, Danielle M. Matos, Erica L. Boccuzzi and Alex Ryley Matos and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Bill was predeceased by his son, Mark W. Matos, his two grandchildren, Kyle W. Boccuzzi and Brett L. Boccuzzi and his brother, Eric Matos.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday at 11:00am at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 318 Church Street, Naugatuck. Everyone attending is asked to please go directly to church. Burial with military honors will follow in St. James Cemetery, Naugatuck. Calling hours are Wednesday from 4-7pm at the Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Avenue, Naugatuck. Members of the Naugatuck Veterans Council will assemble at the funeral home Wednesday at 6:30pm. To honor Bill’s memory, contributions can be made to St. Francis of Assisi Church, 318 Church Street, Naugatuck, CT 06770 or to American Legion Post 17, 21 Cedar Street, Naugatuck, CT 06770.