Peter Frederick Mattera

Peter Frederick Mattera (Pete), age 98, of Perrysburg, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 26th, 2019 at Hospice of Northwest Ohio. He was born in Stamford Connecticut on April 29th, 1921 to Frederick and Immaculata (Florio) Mattera. Pete’s father died of TB when he was 4 years old. His mother later remarried to Joseph Florio and they subsequently moved to Woodville, Ohio to be near family and job opportunities in the nearby lime plants. Pete graduated from Woodville High School and met his wife Clara in Toledo while working at the Autolight Company during WWII. Pete and Clara celebrated 72 years of marriage in June 2017. Clara passed away later that year in August. Pete spent most of his adult life in Toledo working in area automotive plants. He retired from Chrysler Jeep where he had worked in payroll services and as a UAW union representative. After retirement Pete and Clara moved to Perrysburg, Ohio to be near family. They enjoyed spending winters in Bradenton, Florida where they made many new friends from across the country and Canada. Even as a young boy, Pete was a hard worker. His sister Mary (Asmus) recalls how at the age of eight he began working for a neighboring farmer after school, weekends, and summers. She remembers that it was his extra earnings that made their first small Christmas tree possible for the struggling immigrant family. As a husband and father of three, when times were hard, Pete always found work sometimes juggling three jobs to make ends meet. But there were many good times as well. Family trips to Northern Michigan and Black Lake in the summers when the factories shut down were great times and engendered a life long love for the area. Pete and Clara traveled across the US and Canada, cruised the Caribbean many times and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a trip to Italy. An avid golfer for many years, Pete enjoyed a variety of sports over the course of his life. A self-proclaimed high school basketball star, he transferred his abilities to bowling as an adult, and later golf and then shuffleboard. While he loved to play sports, the friendships formed were most important. When sports and travel were no longer options, Pete could be found listening to the music of the Italian “crooners” of his day or watching classic movies. Pete was always outgoing and made friends wherever he went. His family will fondly recall the many stories he told—not all fit to print. His stories brought laughter to every family gathering. Pete had a passion for life and tried to live with no regrets. He will be forever engraved in the DNA and hearts of his family. Pete is survived by daughter, Gay (Anthony) Deiger; son, Frederick (Colleen) Mattera; daughter, Marcie Webb; grandchildren, Nicole Brookshire, Gretchen Tocco, Brian Deiger; Corinne Draper; Erin Honemeyer; Nicholas Mattera; John H. Gill II; Darcy Gill; 15 great-grandchildren; and sister, Mary Asmus. He was preceded in death by his wife, Clara, his son-in-law, W. Donald Webb, MD and sibling Pat Florio. The family would like to express their deep appreciation for the kind and expert care given to Pete by doctors, nurses and staff of Hospice of Northwest Ohio. Services will be on Monday, September 16 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Rose Catholic Church, 215 East Front Street, Perrysburg, Ohio. The Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be shared at walkerfuneralhomes.com.