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John Gearin Matthews

† 2026

“A devoted husband and father who never left the Kingston home where he was born.”

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John Gearin Matthews, known to family and friends as "Gearin" or "Matty," died on October 19, 2026, in Kingston, New York, the city where he had lived his entire life. He was 97 years old. He was born on November 14, 1928, in Kingston to Harry and Ruth Matthews, and…

John Gearin Matthews, known to family and friends as "Gearin" or "Matty," died on October 19, 2026, in Kingston, New York, the city where he had lived his entire life. He was 97 years old.

He was born on November 14, 1928, in Kingston to Harry and Ruth Matthews, and by his family's account he spent all 97 of his years in the same house in that city, a detail that friends and relatives have pointed to as emblematic of the quiet, rooted life he led. He was not a public figure in the conventional sense: no Wikipedia page or national news coverage marked his life before his death, and the record of his life comes chiefly from the obituary published by his family through the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home in Kingston.

Matthews worked at Kingston Laundry for seventeen years, a job that placed him firmly within the working life of his hometown rather than any wider public stage. Those who remembered him in his obituary described a man who enjoyed a good time and who took particular pleasure in the company of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. On June 6, 1948, he married Rose Perry Matthews, and the couple built a family life together in Kingston that lasted for decades.

He is survived by his daughter Linda Polacco and her husband Chuck of Kingston, his daughter Rita Schlichter and her husband Keith of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and his son John Matthews Jr and his wife JoAnne, also of Kingston, along with grandchildren and great grandchildren. No cause of death has been made public in the available reporting.

Friends were received at the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home in Kingston on the Sunday following his death, and a funeral procession formed at the funeral home the next morning. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church in Kingston, after which he was buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in the city. His family's tribute remembered him simply as a devoted husband, father and grandfather who had spent nearly a century rooted in the same community and, for his whole life, the same home.

Biography adapted from News reports and the sources cited on this page; death reported by www.shawangunkjournal.com.

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97 years in one house. Never heard of anyone doing that.

Deepak Bhatt20h ago

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Same job for 17 years too. Different world.

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5 people are remembering John here. Every candle here is someone saying they were glad John lived. No account needed; it takes a moment and it stays here.

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Keith Morgan🇺🇸19h ago
Hannelore Huber🇩🇪22h ago
97 years in one house. what a life, Gearin.
Claudia Nunez🇺🇸23h ago

Death

John Gearin Matthews died on October 19, 2026, in Kingston, New York, at the age of 97, in the same city, and by his family's account the same house, where he had lived his entire life. His cause of death has not been made public in any available report, and the family's published obituary does not state one. His death…

John Gearin Matthews died on October 19, 2026, in Kingston, New York, at the age of 97, in the same city, and by his family's account the same house, where he had lived his entire life. His cause of death has not been made public in any available report, and the family's published obituary does not state one.

His death was announced through an obituary placed by his family with the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home in Kingston, which also handled the funeral arrangements. The notice described him affectionately by his family nicknames, "Gearin" and "Matty," and recounted a life centered on his marriage, his children and grandchildren, and his long tenure as an employee of Kingston Laundry.

Friends were received at the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home, located on Smith Avenue in Kingston, on the Sunday after his death, from 3 to 7 PM. A funeral procession formed at the funeral home the following Monday morning at 9 AM, and a Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 10 AM at Immaculate Conception Church in Kingston. He was buried afterward at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Kingston.

Tributes to Matthews came from within his family and local community rather than from public figures or institutions, reflecting that he lived a private life outside the public eye. His obituary remembered him as a man who liked to have a good time and who found particular joy in time spent with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Questions people ask about John

How did John Gearin Matthews die?
The cause of John Gearin Matthews's death has not been made public. He died on October 19, 2026, in Kingston, New York, at the age of 97.
How old was John Gearin Matthews when he died?
He was 97 years old when he died, having been born on November 14, 1928.
What was John Gearin Matthews's cause of death?
No cause of death has been disclosed in the family's obituary or in any other available report.
Was John Gearin Matthews married?
Yes. He married Rose Perry Matthews on June 6, 1948, and they remained married for decades until his death.
Did John Gearin Matthews have children?
Yes. He had three children: daughters Linda Polacco and Rita Schlichter, and son John Matthews Jr, as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren.
What was John Gearin Matthews's net worth?
No figures for his net worth have been reported. He worked for seventeen years at Kingston Laundry, a local business, rather than in a career that generated public financial records.
What was John Gearin Matthews known for?
He was not a public figure but a longtime resident of Kingston, New York, remembered by his family for his marriage, his work at Kingston Laundry, and for having lived in the same house his entire life.
Where did John Gearin Matthews live?
He lived his entire life in Kingston, New York, reportedly in the same house for all 97 years of his life.

Written by People Forever from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) and the reporting cited. Updated . Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Timeline

  1. 19 October 2026
    Died
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