Obituary of Peter Joseph Matulewicz

Chicopee- Peter Matulewicz “Coach” passed on Friday, December 3, 2021. He was born on November 14, 1934 and raised in Holyoke, MA. He served in the Army Reserves. He was the oldest son of Peter L. and Albertine (Drapeau) Matulewicz. He is predeceased by his parents and his brother, William. He will be missed by his wife of 57 years, Joann (Soneson) Matulewicz. Together they had four children- Karen and her husband Andreas Karrasch of Agawam, Thomas and his wife Cheryl of Chicopee, Janet and her husband Joseph Turnbull of Chicopee, and James and his wife Kristin of Chicopee. He also leaves six grandchildren- Stephanie Karrasch, Jacob Matulewicz, Kristina Karrasch, Kiersten Matulewicz, Brian Turnbull, Nathan Turnbull and 2 furry grandchildren- Jasper and Miles. He is survived by his sisters, Shirley Mann of Chicopee and Ann Baird of South Hadley, and his brother Edward of Boston, along with numerous nieces and nephews. Peter was an avid sports fan and was in seventh heaven when the Red Sox won their first pennant, followed by two more. The Giants and the Patriots were his favorite football teams. He enjoyed playing and coaching sports, especially slow pitch and golf. When he was no longer able to play slow pitch himself, he started coaching youth baseball and basketball. Never one to turn a kid away, he always coached two teams in both sports. His players said “Practice was always harder than the games themselves.” Traveling with Dolly and Friends travel services took him and his wife to many wonderful places over the years, with his favorites being Colorado, the Canadian Rockies and Mackinac Islands. A calling hour will be held on Monday, December 13th from 2:00-3:00 p.m. with a celebration of life to begin at 3:00 p.m. at the Beers & Story South Hadley Funeral Home. Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Peter’s name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Shriners Hospital for Children.