Shirley J. Mattson

BATH – On Wednesday Feb. 1, 2023, Shirley J. Mattson, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at the age of 95, in Bath.

Shirley was born on June 11, 1927 to Charles Gomoll and Alma (Reddin) Gomoll. She had an older sister and brother and was the first child in the family to be born in a hospital.

To give a little family history, Shirley’s maternal grandmother, Minnie Bartels Reddin, was born in Germany and brought to America at the age of 11 by an uncle and his family. Grandma Minnie married Herman Reddin, also born in Germany, and together they raised five children, including Shirley’s mother, Alma.

Alma, the eldest child, went to work at the age of 12, rolling cigars to help support the family – as well as her home job which was to take the cows out to pasture across the street from the house on Monroe Street. After marrying, Alma and her husband built a house in a lot where that pasture had been.

When Shirley was born in 1927, she was surrounded, literally and figuratively, by family members, including her two older siblings, her grandparents across the street, and her aunt and uncle in a house beside them. Shirley valued her time with her friends, church members and family, including her cousin, Nancy, who stayed with them in the summer. She attended Lincoln School and Trinity Lutheran School, graduating from high school in Neenah. Her earliest memories all centered around the people in her life.

After graduating from high school, Shirley worked in an office at Kimberly Clark Paper Company. This is where she met Victor Mattson, who was a PhD student at the Institute for Paper Chemistry in Appleton, Wis. On Aug. 26, 1951, the two wed and began their 71 years together. Above all else, Shirley loved her husband, Victor.

Shirley and Victor raised a son and daughter. Shirley was a dedicated homemaker and traveled around the east coast to support Victor’s career, living in: Appleton, Wis.; Chillicothe, Ohio; Rumford, East Millinocket and Millinocket; Weston, Conn.; Hattiesburg and Lake Serene, Miss.; then Topsham. When they first left Wisconsin, Victor promised Shirley that they would return every year to visit her family and they did that for many years. They especially enjoyed the almost 30-plus years they lived in the Hattiesburg, Miss. area, including early retirement years when they traveled the world together and were also active in the community. Family and friends always looked forward to visits with them in Mississippi, which often included excursions to locations including New Orleans, La.; Nashville, Tenn.; and the Gulf Coast.

Shirley was an avid collector and a proficient gardener. She made friends quickly due to her friendly nature. She was a president of the Hattiesburg Garden Club and a founding member of the “Do Nothing” club in Millinocket. She enjoyed watching football, especially the Green Bay Packers, and became a Red Sox baseball fan after moving back to Maine.

Shirley was predeceased by her parents; sister, Marion, brother, Donald; son, David; and her dear husband, Victor.

She is survived by daughter, Debra and partner Andy; grandchildren Sharon, Evan and his wife Kristen, Daniel and Douglas; great-grandchildren Anna, Thomas, and Remy; and 10 nieces and nephews. She valued her family greatly.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 13 at Brackett Funeral Home, 29 Federal St., Brunswick, ME 04011. Interment will follow at The Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Augusta. A service will be held at 1 p.m. in the chapel at the cemetery.

To offer condolences and share fond memories, please visit http://www.brackettfh.com to view Shirley’s online memorial.