Ronald Mataconis, 1937-2014
Our profound condolences to Doug Mataconis on the loss of his father.
Ronald Mataconis, Doug’s father, passed this weekend. From his obituary in the New Jersey Star-Ledger:
Ronald Mataconis, 76, passed away on Jan. 11, 2014, at home.
[…]
Born and raised in Scranton, Pa., he resided there until moving to Piscataway in 1966. Mr. Mataconis proudly served an enlistment in the United States Air Force during peacetime. He was previously and primarily employed with Penick Corporation in Newark, N.J. Ronald also previously worked at Rickels in Menlo Park, N.J., and most recently worked at Lowes in Piscataway. He was a communicant of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Piscataway. Mr. Mataconis was predeceased by his loving wife, Jeanmarie, who passed away in 2004, and by his brother, Thomas Mataconis. Surviving are his son, Douglas Mataconis of Warrenton, Va.; his sister, Mary Ann Zabatto of Edison, N.J.; his brother, Fr. Richard Mataconis, SDB, of Rome, Italy, and several nieces and nephews.
Doug’s still in New Jersey taking care of his father’s affairs. Visitation is later today and services are tomorrow.
We at OTB offer our profound condolences to him in this time of loss. Losing a parent, while inevitable if we live long enough, is never easy and Doug has now lost both of his. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.
Doug, I am so very sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my thoughts.
My condolences to Doug and his family.
My deepest condolences to Doug and his family.
Doug:
Very sorry to hear that this pain has come your way.
Doug, so very sorry for your loss.
Deepest sympathies.
Sorry to hear of your loss, Doug.
I also offer my condolences to Doug and his family.
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss.
I’m so sorry. You and your family will be in my prayers.
I actually had a little foreboding with the lack of posts from our prolific Doug. He has my full condolences, I know what it’s like to have lost both parents a little too early. May his father rest in peace.
Doug, may your father know peace now. My most sincere condolences to you and your family.
Doug, my deepest sympathies.
I am sorry, Doug. Take care.
My deepest sympathies Doug, and you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Saddened to hear this news. You have my deepest sympathy.
Thinking of you Doug.
Very sorry to hear about your loss. It’s always too soon…
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Deepest sympathies, Doug. I’m sure you were a wonderful son to him.
Peace and healing to you and your family during this most difficult of times, Doug.
My deepest sympathies to you and yours, Doug.
Far too soon.
My sympathies are with you and your family, Doug.
Damn, man. My deepest condolences to you and yours.
My deepest condolences. The death of a parent is never easy.
My deepest prayers and sympathies for you and your family.
Doug,
My parents, while still alive, are nearing that time.
I like to tell my self I’m prepared…but can’t believe you ever really can be.
My thoughts are with you and yours.
You have my condolences, Doug.
Damn, sorry to hear it. Condolences to Doug.
My own father is getting up there (88), and had a very scary incident recently (he’s now ok, for 88).
@C. Clavin:
I’m not prepared. It’s not so much losing dad. I love him and will miss him. But my mother will be devastated, and it’s her I’ll need to help. That’s what worries me.
You’re in my thoughts, Doug. Email me if you need something done in Fla.
Condolences, Doug.
@Rob in CT: You can never really be prepared for this kind of thing. You can try but it’ll still hurt even with a few years notice.
Hope Doug is doing as well as possible.
Rest in Peace. My condolences, Doug. It’s never easy.
Very sad for your loss, Doug. May peace be upon you and your family through this time.
@Rob in CT: I remember talking to a close friend the day my mother died, and as I put down the phone, thinking to myself: “my father doesn’t want to live much longer.” Sure enough, four months later, he died as well.
1983 was a bad year for me.
I just hope that everything is fine with Doug. I also hope that the spirit of his father is doing well in Heaven.
My condolences. I lost my father about 18 months ago, so I can empathize. Take the time you need to take, on your schedule, not anyone elses.
Mr Mataconis, I’m very sorry for your loss.
My sincere condolences, Doug.
@grumpy realist: I hear you. I feel like my mother died of loneliness, although she did make it two and a half years after my dad passed.
I tweeted condolences already, but add it here again. It’s six years ago my father died. You’ll miss him, but the wound will heal.
My condolences on the loss of your father. May peace be with you and your family.
My condolences, Doug…
I hope you and yours are able to celebrate his life and the good times you shared and that helps ease the pain of your loss. We will be sending you our best wishes.
Doug, so sorry for your loss. I hope happy memories of your father will bring you peace and comfort.
Thanks to everyone for the kind words. Blogging from my end will likely be sparse even after tomorrow, at least until I can get access to an Internet connection.
As Mr. Joyner wrote, “Our thoughts and prayers are with Doug and his family.” Yes for sure.
Doug, my only advice is to really feel the pain and loss and yell at the Gods for this terrible misfortune. Let it out and the healing will come. Your Dad will live on inside you and his loss will soften with time.
My deepest condolences Doug.
With my sincerest sorrow for the loss of your father.
Condolences, Doug, for you and your loved ones.
My deep sympathy on your loss, Doug. May your memories of him be a blessing and a comfort.
@grumpy realist:
Same here. Both of my paternal grandparents lived into their 90s. My grandfather died 4 weeks to the day after my grandmother passed away, and we’re all convinced that he died of a broken heart. Once she passed, he just lost his will to live. It was heartbreaking to see.
RIP and Respect to Doug’s father and fellow Airman.
Doug,
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers during this trying time.
@Doug Mataconis:
Doug, speaking from experience, ease yourself back in to your routine slowly and allow yourself time to grieve. This blog will be here when you return. Tend to your heart.
My condolences and deepest sympathies.
Very sorry for your loss, Doug.
A lot of people are thinking of you, Doug. I’m very sorry for your loss.
Condolences to you and yours, Doug.
Blog or don’t blog as you see fit, Doug. You might find the normality of it distracting, in a good way.
My dad died peacefully with loved ones at his bed side.
I can only hope the end for your father was as tranquil.
——-
No internet connection?
@Franklin: In my father’s case, I just knew that he didn’t want to live after the death of my mother. He put everything into ferocious apple-pie order, chased me off to Japan (I had just picked up a fellowship at the U. of Tokyo) and then proceeded to stalk off into death, hastened by cancer. Everything he grimly put into order: threw out all the family pictures, sold off the family house, prepaid for his own cremation….he even tried to have the family cat put to sleep! (I rescued the cat, who lived for another 12 years.) But nothing was allowed to stand in his way and his decision to die. I consider it cancer-assisted suicide.
It was the modern version of Wotan pulling off Gotterdammerung and it took me a long while to get over it.
Doug, don’t be afraid to sardonically laugh with gallows humor. One of the remembrances I have always treasured is my roommate from college, who had had to deal with her father dying suddenly in a car accident, calling up and asking me:”so do you have someone to deal with the ghoul?”
Sometimes it’s only the black humor that keeps you going. We want to scream at the gods, but we can’t, so we laugh helplessly instead.
My condolences to Doug and to his whole family.
I’m sorry, Doug. Prayers to you and yours.
@ernieyeball: My dad died peacefully with loved ones at his bed side.
My Grandpa died peacefully in his sleep. His passengers in back, not so much.
Sorry Doug. Thoughts and prayers with you today.
Sorry for your loss Doug.
Hurry back, it’s boring in here!
Sorry for your loss, lost my dad in a fire 2 years ago , tooks me months to cry as we had to sort out his affairs & keep the vultures away . Only got to cry 10 months later when in church & a very moving song was being sang luckily i had been warned earlier by a good friend it sometimes takes months before one can cry. Take your time it gets better . Also appreciated more people that sent text instead of calling as i could go back & read their comment & not try to guess who & who had called & what was said . Long time lurker from Lagos Nigeria
@myson: Oh yes, indeed. Especially music associated with one or more of your parents. I still can’t listen to any Bach cello pieces without tearing up.
And if you get to pick the music for the funeral/memorial service, find something nicely insipid and obscure. Something you’re not likely to run into again and don’t mind if you never play it. Otherwise you’ll be like my friend, who now cannot listen to “Amazing Grace”, period.
(Good thing the people helping me arrange my father’s memorial service didn’t go with my suggestion and use “Erbarme dich, mein Gott.” If I am barred by my memories from listening to a piece of music, let’s not have it be the St. Matthew Passion.)
Sorry for your loss Doug. My condolences to you and your family.
Sorry for your loss-it is hard to bury your parents even when you know it is coming-it’s been 15 years since my dad passed and there are still times I wish he was around to provide advice (he was one of the most intuitive men I have ever met and his advice and example were pure gold).
I’m sorry for your loss, and my thoughts will be with you.
Sorry for your loss, Doug. Look forward to your return to OTB, when the time is right.
My belated condolences regarding the passing of your father, Doug Mataconis.