Paul Smith Kohout

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Paul Smith Kohout, 86, long-time resident of Marion, MA, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 8, 2016. Born March 17, 1930 in Huntington, Long Island, New York. Beloved son of the late Otto and Annabelle (Smith) Kohout. Paul leaves his loving wife of 59 years, Joyce Ellen (Backus) Kohout. He is also survived by his two children; son Paul Scott and his wife Joy (Derouchie) Kohout of Acton, MA and daughter Constance (Kohout) Hoksch and her husband Stephen Hoksch of Okinawa.
He is further survived by his cherished grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Shawna (Kohout) Paro and her husband, Michael Paro and their son, Noah Paro, James Kohout, his partner, Katherine Newman, and their son, Jack Kohout, Melissa (Hoksch) Thayer and her husband Josh Thayer and Ethan Hoksch. Paul enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1948 and after four years of service in the Veterinary Corps he attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY, where he played hockey in an intramural league. He graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. After graduation, Paul joined the Carpenters’ Union and worked for Bechtel, building forms for the Snell and Eisenhower Locks in New York and subsequently went to work as a chemist at Reynolds Metals Company in Massena, NY from 1959 to 1989. Paul was an avid bowler. Paul renewed his interest in hockey and became an accomplished coach and became the Coaching Program Director of New York State. In 1980 he was the U.S. escort for the Finnish hockey team when the U.S. won gold in Lake Placid. He attended the Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (1984) and in Calgary, Canada (1988) as a representative of USA Hockey.
Paul received the Walter Yaciuk Coaching Award in 1999 and is listed in the New York State Amateur Hockey Hall of Fame.
Paul also was a member of the Salmon River School Board of Education, Fort Covington, NY from 1983 to 1989. Paul was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Fort Covington, NY for many years. After his retirement in 1989, Paul moved to his retirement home in Marion, MA and engaged in his love of landscaping and gardening, helping his neighbors and friends. He also did voluntary work for the church, historical society and veterans. He was a U.S. Army Veteran and prior Post Commander of American Legion Post 1418, Fort Covington, NY.
His Funeral Service will be held on Friday at 3 PM in St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church. Visiting hours are omitted. Interment at Elmwood Cemetery, Fort Covington, New York. Arrangements are with the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home For Funerals, 50 County Rd. (Rt. 6) Mattapoisett For online guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

Sewer Rates to Increase Significantly

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Sewer users in Marion will see a significant increase in their sewer bills come this next fiscal year after the Marion Board of Selectmen on June 7 approved the recommendation to increase the rates set by the Water/Sewer Rate Committee.

Finance Director Judith Mooney said a 2.5% base sewer rate hike was simply not enough to cover the cost of future debt related to the sewer treatment plant and the almost $1 million appropriated at Town Meeting for ongoing engineering costs for sewer plant upgrades.

Tier 1 sewer users, which Mooney said includes roughly 85-90% of residents, will see about a 4% increase in their bill. An average household of 2.5 people could see an increase of about $42.30 annually.

Tier 2 users, the scenario being a home of five occupants, will see a $197.30 average increase annually. Tier 3, of which Mooney said there are only limited users, will see an average annual increase of roughly $514.

We feel this [scenario] is the best,” said Mooney. “It meets the revenues. It helps out with the fixed income [households]…”

This sewer rate increase is mainly driven by the imminent National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit renewal that calls for a number of costly upgrades to the existing wastewater treatment plant.

“It’s a definite. You’ll see another increase next year,” said Mooney. “How much? … Right now, we’re concentrating on fiscal year [2017].”

Water rates will see a slight increase of 2.5%, leading to an average increase of $3.92 for the year for Tier 1. Mooney said residents have asked her recently how much one gallon costs, which Mooney said is less than one cent.

In other matters, selectmen approved Police Chief Lincoln Miller’s request to hire a full-time officer to make up for a vacant full-time shift currently covered by part-time officers that may be leaving for full-time positions in other towns, and a full-time shift left vacant by an injured officer out of work for a number of months.

“The coverage for that has cost us considerable overtime,” said Chief Miller. “We are using a lot of overtime and to get an officer up and sent to police academy is twenty-two weeks.”

Miller said he was not looking for a specific appointment that night, simply a vote of support for his recommendation, which he received unanimously.

“I just want to be able to make an actual offer when the time is right,” Miller said.

Also during the meeting, selectmen gave Shea Doonan approval to move forward with the process of acquiring an aquaculture license.

Doonan had initially sought an aquaculture license for a site off Ram Island, but the state denied the license due to the presence of eelgrass.

Shellfish Officer Adam Murphy recommended that the selectmen approve this first step in the process.

“This site looks good; however, we didn’t do a dive survey,” said Murphy. A representative from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries was present, Murphy said, who gave a nod to the site, but nothing is certain until the survey is complete.

The site is used for recreational purposes, such as kayaks and paddleboards, Murphy said, “But it doesn’t appear to impede any of the navigation.”

The matter will require a public hearing in the near future, and the Marion Conservation Commission will also hold a public hearing of its own to approve the project.

Selectmen also approved the appointment of Harold Terpenny as assistant harbormaster/shellfish officer. Harbormaster Isaac Perry said Terpenny was a participant in the Old Rochester Regional High School “School to Work Program” and has demonstrated a remarkable ability and eagerness to learn. Selectman Stephen Gonsalves vouched for Terpenny as well, saying he was a neighbor who is “respectful” and “responsible.”

In other matters, after a brief discussion, the board decided that it would make sense to apply for a grant for a second and a third electric car to add to the town’s fleet.

On another note, selectmen commented on the recent banning of smoking at Silvershell Beach as per the Board of Health. The designated smoking section, which the Board of Health noted was in a poor spot located right at the edge of the beach, will be removed as a result of updated smoking regulations that prohibit smoking in public spaces and work places in Marion.

Board of Selectmen Chairman and Recreation Director Jody Dickerson pointed out that the Board of Health initially chose that particular spot for the designated smoking section three years ago.

Selectmen did not appear thrilled with the complete ban of smoking in public.

“Does that include public sidewalks?” asked Selectman Stephen Cushing. “How far does this go?”

“I think it’s gone far enough,” said Selectman Steve Gonsalves.

“I think we go a little too far sometimes when it comes to the regulations,” said Cushing, referring to the new regulations as a “kneejerk reaction.”

The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for June 21 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.

By Jean Perry

The Finest Hours

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Michael Tougias will present a talk and slide show on his book, and recently released movie, The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue, and his newest book, So Close to Home, on Friday, July 8 from 7:00 until 9:00 pm in the Media Center of the Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, 133 Marion Road, Mattapoisett. Introducing the author will be Mattapoisett resident Attorney Richard J. Grahn, President and CEO of The National Coast Guard Museum Association. The program, sponsored by the Friends of the Mattapoisett Library, is free and open to the public.

On February 18, 1952, a ferocious nor’easter split in half a 500-foot long oil tanker, the Pendleton, approximately one mile off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; twenty miles away, a second oil tanker, the Fort Mercer, also split in half. On both fractured tankers, men were trapped on the severed bows and sterns, all four sections sinking in 60-foot seas. Thus began a life and death drama of survival, heroism, and a series of tragic mistakes. Of the 84 seamen aboard the tankers, 70 would be rescued. Tougias tells the tale of the men, the storm, the wrecks, and the four young Coast Guardsmen who launched themselves over Chatham Bars and into the storm to save the 32 souls stranded on the stern of the Pendleton.

Tougias has said, “This event was – and still is – the greatest, most daring sea rescue ever performed by the Coast Guard, and it happened right here off the New England coast. I like doing these programs because I transport the audience into the heart of the storm, so they can ask, ‘What would I have done?’ With a slide presentation, the viewer can visually relive the adventure of it.”

Tougias, author and co-author of 24 books, recently published So Close To Home, the story of a hard-working, blue collar family in the post-Depression years. When war broke out, they unknowingly entered the crosshairs of an ugly battle taking place right off America’s shores, sailing into the path of a German U-boat that was on a killing spree through unprotected waters near major port cities. So Close to Home takes you into both the struggle to get ahead as experienced by the Downs family and the U-boats’ race against the American war machine.

The presentation is suitable for all ages, and a book-signing will follow the program.

Academic Achievements

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The following Tri-Town residents graduated May 15 from Saint Michael’s College.

– Gabrielle Rose Kondracki of Mattapoisett with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in English.

– Thomas Michael Tucker of Mattapoisett with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

Dean’s List at Lehigh University status, which is awarded to students who earned a scholastic average of 3.6 or better while carrying at least 12 hours of regularly graded courses, has been granted to Nicholas Johnson, of Marion, in the Fall 2016 semester.

The following Tri-Town Framingham State University students graduated this academic year:

– Larry Clark of Rochester received a Bachelor of Science degree.

– Zachary Kirby of Rochester received a Bachelor of Science degree.

Kevin Silva of Mattapoisett graduated from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a Master of Public Health degree.

Douglas Gifford, of Rochester, has been named to Dean’s List for the spring 2016 semester at Lyndon State College. To qualify for Dean’s List, a student must achieve a semester grade-point average (GPA) of 3.5 while enrolled in 12 or more credits per semester.

ACO: Bear Sighting Likely a Fisher Cat

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There has been some recent buzz on Facebook about possible bear sightings on North Street and River Road in Mattapoisett, but nothing yet has confirmed the presence of a bear in the area, at least according to Animal Control Officer Kathy Massey.

“I haven’t seen it,” said Massey on June 6. She suspects that residents might have possibly mistaken a large fisher cat for a bear. She recalled an incident in the past when she received a call about a bear up in a resident’s tree and arrived to find a fisher cat instead. “I could see how they would think that it was a bear. Some fisher cats get to a pretty good size.”

Carly Lavin of Mattapoisett was out for a walk with her two small children just before noon on May 31 when she spotted what she thinks was a black bear in the field on River Road by Riverside Drive.

“We might have disturbed a little nap he or she was taking in the field,” said Lavin. “It popped its head up … and then it turned and high-tailed it right to the forest.”

Lavin said she had never seen a bear in the wild in the past, and she had never seen a fisher cat, either. Looking at a photo of a fisher cat, she stated, “I’m pretty sure it was a bear … but it could be [a fisher cat]. We’ll be keeping an eye on things here.”

Back in July and August of 2011, a young black bear was spotted in several locations throughout Tri-Town and also in Plymouth, but he hasn’t turned up in the meantime. Massey said that during those months, she sometimes received a number of phone calls daily from nervous residents reporting bear sighting, but this month so far, she hasn’t received a single call.

“The last time we had a bear, I got calls up the wazoo,” said Massey. “The last time the bear was here, I got a call sometimes three or four times a day. I’ve got nothing this time….”

The lack of calls this time around leads Massey to question the validity of the bear sightings, leaning more towards a fisher cat with its long tail hidden from view.

Massey said in 2011 there was likely more than one bear, since she and an animal control officer from a neighboring town were both on the phone in separate locations reporting their own separate bear sightings to each other live.

“This week, I called Rochester to see if she’s gotten any calls,” said Massey. Nope, not yet….

At this time, Massey doesn’t want the public to panic at the thought of a bear roaming around the area. After all, the bear is much more afraid of you than you of it.

“Could it be here? Sure,” said Massey. “Is it here? I can’t say.”

If you ever see a bear on your property, keep calm and simply make a lot of noise to scare it off. They aren’t there for your chickens, Massey said, and they aren’t prone to “killing things.”

At this time, there is no definitive confirmation of the presence of a bear returning to Tri-Town but, in the meantime, keep your trash barrels secured, said Massey, because the area has a lot of other wild animals that could cause a lot more trouble than a lonely bear.

“I don’t understand the panic,” said Massey. There is no need to call 911. “If it’s trying to get in your house (which it won’t) then yeah, call me…. Just make a lot of noise. They’ll take off.”

By Jean Perry

 

Troubled Waters

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While landlubbers sit on beaches gazing out at the splendor of blue waters, blue skies and a horizon dotted with colorful sails and boats of all shapes and sizes, the people on those vessels are all too aware that safe navigation is paramount from the moment they pull away from shore.

Harbormasters and boaters also know that navigation will become more difficult as the federal government through the U.S. Coast Guard begins its plan to remove ATONs, which are navigational aids such as buoys, fixed structures, and beacons both lighted and unlighted.

During the May 26 meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board, Harbormaster Jill Simmons reported that she received a letter from the USCG advising of their plan to remove several channel markers in Mattapoisett while moving another to a yet undetermined location.

Simmons said a wide-ranging federal policy to cut costs has mandated that the USCG review all ATONs and select for “disestablishment” and removal those deemed unnecessary.

Simmons said she was sending a letter opposing disestablishment of at least two of those markers that boaters have come to depend on for decades to avoid submerged rocks.

The markers in the removal crosshairs of the USCG are the Mattapoisett Harbor buoys No. 6/Snow Rock (relocation), No. 2/Angelica Point, No. 8/Barstow Rock, and No. 10/town dock.

This policy affects boaters not just in local waters, but in all waters under the control of the USCG.

Simmons said Robinson’s Hole in Falmouth will have nearly all ATONs removed.

“They might as well just put a gate up there,” said Simmons. Anyone who has navigated that area knows the dangerous currents that swirl relentlessly in that location, Simmons added. The board members agreed, shaking their heads.

In another below-the-waterline matter, Simmons told the board that Taylor Seafood, an aquaculture enterprise that operates over 100-acres in Nasketucket Bay in Mattapoisett and Fairhaven, is under new management; however, longstanding issues with the operation, including abandonment of wires, cables, nets, and associated debris, have not been resolved.

Attending the meeting was Frank Coelho, a member of the Fairhaven Marine Resource Committee.

“At least five years ago, Marine Fisheries took pictures of the trash on the bottom,” Coelho said.

According to Simmons – although hearsay information indicated that Taylor was responsible for placing channel markers at the head of Brandt Island Cove as part of their agreement with the town – those markers were never adequate or of regulation size, some being mere plastic milk containers.

“I’ve been all around this thing,” she said with a note of exasperation.

Simmons said she had met with town counsel regarding revocation of the license, and that Taylor Seafood had been forcibly resolved as a corporation by the state.

The new company, West Island, LLC, had popped up as owner and had tried to pay for permits.

“The town refused the payment,” Simmons stated. “A revocation hearing is planned.”

Moving on to other business, MAB member Robert Moore passed out the long-awaited updated draft of rules and regulations. “You shouldn’t have to be an attorney, member of the board, or an engineer to read them…. A lay person should be able to understand them,” he said giving context to the work he and several other members have applied to the draft.

Moore also noted that, although the rules and regulations by and large have not changed, the formatting and text placement have been modified for clarity, but overall, he said, this doesn’t replace “common sense and mutual respect to your fellow boaters.”

The board members were asked to review the draft and return comments by the next meeting.

The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board is scheduled for June 30 at 7:00 pm in the town hall conference room.

By Marilou Newell

 

Shakespeare Meets Marty McFly

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Laughter erupted from Old Rochester’s auditorium on the evening of May 26 as the theater class put on their annual show. This year’s production, titled Scenes from Shakespeare II, included eight of the most famous scenes from all of Shakespeare’s works, with each scene set in a different time period from the 1940s on.

Kathleen Brunelle, an English teacher at ORR, teaches the class, which is a half-year elective taken during the school day. There was a total of 35 students on the class roster at the beginning of the semester, but the call to theater lured another 10 students – who happened to have a study during the theater class period and were looking for a creative outlet to break up the monotonous school day – to join the class.

The production boasted a class comprised of nearly 30 seniors and 15 underclassmen, including a few freshmen. Work on the show really began immediately after February vacation, and the students worked tirelessly from then until opening night to deliver the most entertaining evening they could.

As Brunelle said in her speech that opened the show, “They (the students) have the chance to take the magic in these words and deliver it to you.”

Students involved in this production thoroughly enjoyed the free nature of the class – the ability to take creative liberties and just be yourself and have fun, as explained by Jessica Keegan, who played Ophelia from Hamlet.

“We were all backstage and everybody loved everything that was happening,” said Keegan. “People were dancing and singing along in the back; it was just such fun.”

Grace Stevens, who played Sir Andrew from Twelfth Night, agreed.

“The best thing about it was all the parts where you could just be free and dance,” Stevens said.

For those who participate in the school’s Drama Club on top of the theater class, it was a welcome break from the normal tension experienced when putting on a Drama Club production.

Kaeli Peters, who played Narissa from The Merchant of Venice, said, “I’m in Drama Club, and everything there is high-end and sort of stressful, but being in theater, everything was very low key and we all just came together and made it as one big group of people and just had so much ridiculous fun doing it.”

By working together for months, theater allowed those who took the class to forge friendships that may not otherwise have formed with other students.

“I think everyone talked to people they normally wouldn’t have talked to. It brought a lot of people together,” said Paul Kavanagh, who played Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing and Percy from Henry IV.

Evan Portelance, who played Petruchio from Taming of the Shrew and Olivia from Twelfth Night, explained how his senior year has been a chance to get out of his comfort zone and try new things.

“I learned, throughout this past year, that I really don’t have a comfort zone,” said Portelance. “I was willing to try everything this year. After doing Mr. ORR with him (Paul Kavanagh), it kind of broke that barrier and made this show a whole lot easier.”

But overall, the students involved felt that opening night was easily the best part of joining theater class, as Timothy Schroeder, who played Don Pedro from Much Ado About Nothing described it.

“My favorite part was the creation of it all, the culmination of all our work tonight,” said Schroeder. “Everything was great – doing the dances, doing the scenes, adding props, adding costumes. Evan’s little flourishes here and there were hysterical, but seeing it all come together and knowing that nobody is going to mess up because of the adrenaline is great.” He added, “It’s the emotion behind everything that’s just perfect.”

As for the show itself, Brunelle stepped onto the stage at 7:00 pm to introduce the group and deliver a few opening remarks. Brunelle’s daughter also stepped out to share the pre-show spotlight and had a very special announcement to make: it was her 4th birthday. Upon hearing this news, the audience broke into song to wish the young girl a ‘happy birthday.’

After the mother-daughter duo left the stage, the lights dimmed and the audience fell silent with anticipation. The curtain opened to reveal a cutout of the DeLorean car from the classic movie Back to the Future. Marty McFly, played by Corynn Rinta, and Doc, played by Camryn Kidney, entered the stage and explained that Doc’s time machine would send them hurdling through time, all in iambic pentameter, of course.

From there, the audience was taken on a hilarious ride through time from the 1940s to present day. With each new decade came a new show. Scenes were included from The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet, and Henry IV: Part I. Each scene also included a choreographed musical number.

But how did this idea come together in the first place? It all started with Brunelle, who came up with the concept last year when figuring out a way to demonstrate to the audience how entertaining Shakespeare can be. By including an array of different scenes, it allows an opportunity for every individual to shine as a lead.

It also eliminates the possibility of losing a lead to illness, or switching schools, or other outside factors. If everyone is a lead, it makes for an easier time trying to find a fill-in. Most importantly, however, Brunelle was hoping that this show would be fun for those involved and allow them time in their day to be creative and have fun, as she explained when discussing the goals of the class.

“I want them to come and have fun, and I want to show the audience that Shakespeare can be versatile,” said Brunelle. “We have some really serious scenes so you can see how beautiful Shakespeare can be, but also some funny scenes, because Shakespeare is actually very funny and people just don’t know that.” She added, “So that’s their job; to just have fun with it. Theater is an elective, so it’s meant to be a time during the day to be creative and have an outlet.”

Every good show includes artistic flourishes from the actors involved, and this production was no different. Many of the comical moments onstage originated as jokes between class members that ended up being incorporated in the final show.

The creation of this production was a group effort in which everybody gave their input and helped to change the show into something that everyone grew to love.

“We all pitched in ideas for what we should so,” said Portelance. “It’s Shakespeare, so you can do really whatever you want with it.”

With such a good track record from the ORR theater class, one can only wait to see the upcoming entertainment in store next year.

By Sienna Wurl

 

Doubrava Reviews Coastal Marine Resources

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Everyone near and far knows the importance of protecting Marion’s environmentally sensitive coastline and associated wetlands. In order to keep protections in place, it sometimes takes a Philadelphia lawyer – or in the case of Marion, a Conservation Commission member – willing to go the extra mile.

On May 25 during the Marion Conservation Commission meeting, commission member Jeffrey Doubrava explained his recent efforts working with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

Correspondence from the agency asked the town to consider whether or not it wanted to place three locations along the shoreline into either “system units” or “other protected area.”

As Doubrava untangled the governmental language for the other commission members he said, “No one is ever going to build on them – ever.” But, the Planting Island Causeway, Aucoot Cove, and areas near the Kittansett Club, which are currently protected coastal areas into perpetuity, could receive additional protections, he said.

Doubrava said that if the town wished to label these locations as system units, they would be exempted from receiving any federal monies, such that might be needed in the event of natural disasters. There are also additional layers of restrictions on how the areas may be used.

If, however, the town elected to place them in the category of “other protected area,” the only additional restriction the state would put on them would be, “We couldn’t buy flood insurance,” Doubrava said.

The commission pondered which direction would be the best course of action for the town, especially given the protected status the areas enjoyed for many years. After deliberation, the commission chose to request other protected area, since it would give the town “more flexibility” if needed in the future.

Vice Chairman Joel Hartley thanked Doubrava for his work in the matter and asked him to draft a letter of response to Marine Fisheries for review by the commission at the next meeting.

In other matters before the commission, a Notice of Intent filing by the Town of Marion for reconstruction of a 337-foot stone seawall at Sprague’s Cove received a Positive Determination. An Order of Conditions was issued, which included limited use of erosion controls in the salt marsh.

Tim Lynch, 8 West Avenue, received a Negative 2 determination for his RDA filing for construction of a new egress landing with stairs.

Alexis Popik, 1 Shore Drive, also received a Negative 2 determination for the construction of an osprey platform in accordance with the Mass Audubon Society’s Osprey Project.

“This is a good thing you’re doing,” said Hartley.

Commissioner member Cindy Callow advised the commission that she had reviewed a potential mini-grant application from the Buzzards Bay Watershed Municipality, but felt that some required information could not be completed before the deadline of June 2. She also said that the grant application most likely would have to be approved by the selectmen, who would not be meeting before the deadline date. The other commission members asked her to request an extension to the deadline. Callow agreed.

The next meeting of the Marion Conservation Commission is scheduled for June 8 at 7:00 pm in the Marion Town House meeting room.

By Marilou Newell

 

Margaret “Peggy” Coulson Smith

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Margaret “Peggy” Coulson Smith, a long-time resident of Marion, passed away on December 9, 2015 at Sippican Health Care Center.

Born in Medford, daughter of the late Margaret M. and John Coulson, Jr., she was raised in Winchester and was a graduate of Winchester High School and Westbrook Junior College.

A loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and great grandmother, Peggy’s family always came first.  She cared deeply about her friends and family and always tried to help and support others in any way that she could.  Over the course of her career, she worked at Harvard University, at the Beverly Yacht Club, in special education in the Fairhaven Public School system, and in family counseling.  In her later years, she volunteered at Sippican Health Care and looked after her friends.  An avid and accomplished bridge player, she was a member of the Sippican Tennis Club and played the game she loved multiple times a week.  Additionally, Peggy was known for her sharp intellect, curiosity, and ease in communicating with others.  A particular interest of hers was politics.  She was always up on the news, loved thinking about the world, and was very interested in new ideas.

Predeceased by her husband, John W. Smith, Jr., and sister, Ruth Coulson, she is survived by her son, Brooks C. Smith, daughter-in-law, Deidre P. Smith, sisters, Jane C. Aldrich and Mary Ann C. Phillips, and grandsons, Joshua L. Smith, Andrew G. Smith, his wife, Sarah P. Smith, and great granddaughter, Ava M. Smith.

A graveside service will be held on Sunday, June 12, 2016 at Old Landing Cemetery, Spring St., Marion at 3 PM. A reception will follow at the Sippican Tennis Club, 20 Holmes St., Marion.  In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements by Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, Wareham. To leave a message of condolence, visit: www.ccgfuneralhome.com

William Peter Matthes, III

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William Peter Matthes, III died unexpectedly on June 3, 2016 at Tobey Hospital, Wareham. He was 77 years old. Born in Newton and raised in Needham, he was the son of the late William P. Matthes, Jr. and Margaret K. (Fraser) Matthes. Mr. Matthes raised his three children in Walpole with his bride, Dolores.

He graduated from Needham High in 1957. He served in the U.S. Navy on the submarine USS Sablefish 303. After leaving the Navy, he worked as a Needham Police Officer for 38 years. He was one of the original members of the Needham Police Underwater Dive Team. Mr. Matthes was a patrolman and a detective. He worked details for two years during his retirement. After completely retiring from the department, he was employed by Outback Engineering in Middleboro for five years.

Mr. Matthes married Dolores J. Bleiler at the Church of Incarnation in Melrose in 1968. Once retired, they moved permanently to Brandt Beach in Mattapoisett to live in the home that he had built with friends in 1964. This was the same home where he and his family had enjoyed many summers together.

He loved being outdoors and made wonderful memories with his family and friends. Boating in Mattapoisett was just one of his favorite pastimes. He enjoyed tinkering in his shed and taking care of his beautiful property in Mattapoisett. His cabin in Jamaica, Vermont was his second home where he spent lots of time outdoors fishing, hunting, and camping with his son, Peter, brother, David, and many other friends and family members. A man of great faith, he was a devoted Catholic and was a communicant of St. Anthony’s Church.

However, there was no greater love in Peter’s life than his bride, Dolores J. (Bleiler) Matthes. More than anything else, he was a family man. He loved Dolores and their children with his whole heart and showed this love every day. Peter was enamored with his children and he was an integral part of their lives. He seemed to glow when he spent time with them and his six grandchildren. He was so proud of their accomplishments.

In addition to his bride, Dolores, Mr. Matthes leaves behind his son, Peter Matthes, his wife, Heather, and grandson, Alex, of Medway. He also leaves his daughters, Kristen Berthao, her husband Richard, and his grandchildren, Chris and Katie, of Norton, and Laura Youngquist, her husband, Jason and his grandchildren, Matthew, Meghan and Liam of Middleboro. He is survived by his brother, David Matthes, of Virginia and a niece and two nephews.

His life will be celebrated at a funeral mass that will be held on Thursday at 10 AM at Saint Anthony’s Church in Mattapoisett. Burial will follow at St. Anthony’s Cemetery. Calling hours at the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals will be held from 4-7 PM on Wednesday.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the St. Vincent DePaul Society, St. Anthony’s Church, P.O. Box 501, Mattapoisett, MA 02739.

For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com