George Matarrese Obituary

St. Peter - George William Matarrese passed away January 15, 2025 at the age of 89. A native of Paterson, New Jersey, he was the son of Francesco "Frank" Matarrese and Michelina "Margaret" Della Greca Matarrese. He met his wife, Lois Susan Gardener, his wife and partner of 52 years, at Teaneck High where they both attended school.

George graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a B.S.in Engineering. After getting married, he enlisted in the US Army and served as a 1st Lieutenant. In 1967 George took a job that would launch his career as an engineer in Atlanta, Georgia. George and Lois built their family home in Dunwoody, Georgia and lived in the Atlanta area for nearly 40 years.

In 2008, they relocated from Atlanta to Maple Grove, Minnesota in order to be closer to their grandchildren. Just two years later, Lois died of cancer. George found his way forward through his devotion to family. He was a huge fan and supporter of his two granddaughters, frequently attending athletic events and music recitals across the state.

In 2019, he moved to St. Peter, Minnesota where he did his best to tend to his roses, read nearly every detective novel in the entire Minnesota public library system, and enjoy curbside pickup at his favorite restaurants.

George will be remembered for his sense of humor, his love of reading, his engineering mind and skillful hands that could build or fix anything, and his unwavering support for his family in all their endeavors. He is preceded in death by his wife, his brother, Anthony Matarrese, his sister, Jean Hacker, and his parents. He is survived by his children, Michelina Matarrese (spouse Dave Pankenier) of San Francisco and Craig Matarrese (spouse Anna Hulseberg) of St. Peter, and his two grandchildren, Sophia Matarrese and Alexandra Matarrese.

A celebration in memory of George's life will be held at the Gustavus Arboretum in St. Peter, Minnesota on May 24th, 2025 from 10-1:30pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the St. Peter Public Library.