Brendan Murray, Supervisor

428 Main St, Honesdale, PA 18431

OBITUARIES

Obituaries » Donald J. Matthews

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November 6, 1946 - May 6, 2023

Funeral Home Hessling Funeral Home

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Donald J. Matthews
Donald J. Matthews, 76, of Honesdale Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully at his
home on May 6, 2023, surrounded by family after a five year battle with cancer.
Born November 6, 1946, in Carbondale, PA, Don was the son of the late Willard and
Katherine Matthews. He graduated from Honesdale High School in 1964 and Penn
State Wilkes-Barre in 1966. He served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1970. Don was a
Professional Licensed Land Surveyor for over 40 years. In 2006, he retired from the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation where he worked as the Wayne County
Assistant Maintenance Manager for 23 years.
Don leaves behind a loving family: his wife, Ann; daughter Traci Hall of Bethany; son,
Brian Matthews and wife Shanna of Boca Raton, Florida: grandchildren: Amaya and
Brayden Hall. He is also survived by his sister Gwen Montz and his nieces: Lisa
Sebastiani (Vince), Anita Hariton (Alan) and Nicole Matthews; nephew: Scott Matthews
(Susan); and grand nieces and nephews: Jonah and Jacob Hariton, Luke, Dylan, and
Katherine Matthews.
In addition to his parents, Don is preceded in death by his twin brother Ronald, brother-
in-law Russell Montz, nephew Kevin Montz, and son-in-law John Hall.
Don joined the Alert Hook and Ladder Company #2 at age 16 and held many positions
in the company, ultimately becoming a Senior Firefighter and Life-member. He took a
special interest in Fire Prevention Week and in addition to holding many offices, he was
very vocal at fire company meetings. His fellow members often knew they were in for a
long meeting if he stood up and put his foot on the chair! Don was also a former
president of the Honesdale Firemen’s Relief Association, and a member of the Central
United Methodist Church and the Honesdale Elks Lodge.
Don had a very special bond with his twin brother Ron. They shared many interests
including firefighting, family, surveying and telling silly jokes over and over again. When
telling a funny story, you would often hear one of them say, “my brother will back me up
on this…”
Don loved 60s music, their annual trips to Myrtle Beach, family gatherings and holidays.
Don’s passions were his fire company, where he mentored many young firefighters, and
his grandchildren, whom he adored. You could always find Don at all of their many
sports, school, music and dance events.

A visitation will be held on Friday, May 12th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Hessling Murray
Funeral Home, 428 Main St., Honesdale, PA; and a Memorial Service will be held on
Saturday, May 13th at 10:00 am, at the Central United Methodist Church, Honesdale.
All attending are asked to meet at the church.
Interment with military honors will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Honesdale.
A special heartfelt thank you to our friends at Wayne Memorial Hospice for their tender
loving care.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Alert Hook & Ladder #2
Volunteer Fire Company, 222 Willow Avenue, Honesdale, PA 18431.

For well over a century, Hessling Funeral Home has offered traditional and non traditional services. We provide funeral services to all cultures and religious faiths. Making this difficult time a little easier for our families is our primary concern. In this spirit, we created our website, in which you will find information about our services and facilities, useful items such as directions, obituaries, and monuments. Please browse through our website and feel free to contact us with any questions that you may have.