Obituary of Mildred Matte

Mildred (O’Dell) Matte passed away at 102 years old. Mildred, with the help of her family, especially her son John, was blessed to have remained in her home for 55 years. She had spent her final days being lovingly cared for by the staff of the Sawtelle Family Hospice House until her passing on Thursday morning, January 30, 2014. Mildred was born, raised and educated in Troy NY. She was one of four children born to the late Edward and Sara O’Dell. Mildred married her husband Ernest in 1938 and they remained in Troy until settling in Burlington in 1958. Mildred devoted her life to her family. She was a very supportive wife to her husband Ernest who had a very successful career as an architect in the Boston area. She was a very supportive and loving mother to her children John and Margaret. One of the hardest things that Mildred faced in her 102 years was seeing the passing of her daughter Margaret in 1982. Her motherly instincts immediately focused on helping her son-in-law Richard care for her grandchildren. She always looked forward to family vacations whether it was a trip back to Troy NY to visit her family or Ottawa, Canada to visit her in-laws. Mildred loved living in New England and experiencing all the different seasons. She enjoyed taking long rides through New Hampshire and Maine. She was an avid reader with fiction novels being her favorite. She was a huge Bruins fan. She loved animals. Mildred’s life spanned 2 World Wars, The Great Depression, the invention of television, computers, and cell phones. She has seen some of the greatest achievements of Mankind including landing a man on the moon and some of the lowest moments including segregation, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. What most only read in books, Mildred has lived through and experienced firsthand. Mildred was the loving wife of the late Ernest R. Matte. She was the loving mother of John Edward Matte of Burlington and the late Margaret A. Morin. She was the mother-in-law of Richard Morin & his wife Margaret of Beverly. She was predeceased by her siblings; Grace Whalen, William & Albert O’Dell. She was the very proud grandmother of Gregory Morin & his wife Patricia of Chicago, IL and Cheryl Norris & her husband Alan of Stoneham and great grandmother of Sarah and Rachel Norris. Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt. 128, Woburn side) on Friday, February 7 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at Noon. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in Mildred’s name may be made of the VNA Middlesex East & Visiting Nurse Hospice, For the Sawtelle Family Hospice House, 607 North Ave., Suite 17 Wakefield, MA 01880.