William Matthews

William Matthews CLAREMONT, NH -William Matthews, 81, of Claremont passed away at home on September 13, 2023, He was born in Natick, Massachusetts on December 9, 1941 to John and Rita (Caldwell) Matthews. Bill was raised in Boston and joined the US Marine Corps out of trade school. He served 2 tours in Vietnam and upon returning stateside was stationed in Boston as a Marine recruiter where he met the love of his life and wife of 55 years, Linda Baldasaro of Claremont. Together they had 2 children and lived around the US until he retired after 24 years of military service. Bill and Linda settled in Claremont to raise their family. After moving to Claremont, Bill joined the US Postal Service and was a letter carrier for several decades in Claremont. Bill worked part time at several local businesses after retiring a second time. Most recently he was a crossing guard for Maple Avenue and Middle School students which he loved. He also volunteered his time at church dinners and community events. Bill enjoyed many hobbies but his favorite was fishing and he traveled the globe to fish in exotic locales. He could also be seen casting a line at any local lake, pond or river he passed. This enthusiasm was something his grandsons shared with him and they loved ‘Papa’s Fishing Club’. He leaves his wife Linda, daughter and her husband Heather and David DiBenedetto of Concord, Massachusetts, his son and partner Patrick Mathews and Millie Chen of Melbourne, Australia and his 2 grandsons, Dominic and Dante DiBenedetto. Calling hours will be held at Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad Street in Claremont on Wednesday, September 20th from 5-7pm. A funeral Mass will be held at 11am on Thursday, September 21st at St. Joseph Church, followed by a graveside service with military honors at Mountain View Cemetery. A luncheon at St. Joseph’s Church Hall will follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Project Healing Waters, https://projecthealingwaters.org/ or New Hampshire Humane Society https://www.nhhumane.org/ Arrangements are with Stringer Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 146 Broad Street, Claremont, NH 03743. To view an online memorial or send a private message of condolence, visit www.stringerfh.com.