Family and friends will gather on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to honor the life of John Michael Matheson, a 69-year-old Arlington resident who died suddenly on Aug. 21.
The gathering will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Keefe Funeral Home, 4 Chestnut St., Arlington.
Mr. Matheson was intellectually challenged and mainstreamed in the Lexington public schools, graduating from Lexington High in 1975. A familiar, favorite figure in Arlington, where he spent his adult years, he was able to live on his own thanks to a loving, supportive community and Mom who prepared him to live independently, according to the death notice.
Mr. Matheson made friends wherever he went: his coffee was ready every morning at Starbucks, Walgreens had his order on the counter, his slice was ready at the place on the corner, and the great folks at Jimmy’s always had a seat at the table for him, sometimes even with him. He was an accomplished bowler and Special Olympics participant.
He traveled the world with various organizations and particularly loved going to California to see Bob Barker on “The Price Is Right” and the Red Sox at spring training. A longtime member of the Knights of Columbus, Mr. Matheson was, for many years, the official coat collector, a job he enjoyed. (Special thanks to Bob for always driving him home.) He collected watches, sunglasses, T-shirts and hockey sticks, and loved music, notably Prince, AC/DC, Snoop Dogg, the Beatles and Black Sabbath.
Stories of his achievements and activities could astonish his family who lived far away, unable to figure out how things transpired. He was a regular at the old Boston Garden, where a nameless security guard regularly saved Mr. Matheson a seat for his adored Bruins. Sometime later, he spent several seasons in the Bruins’ locker room, where he opened the curtain for the players and gave out hand towels. On summer nights, he could be seen in the background of the Boston Pops, and in the Blizzard of 2003, Mr. Matheson found his way home from Boston on foot, by following the trolley lines. He was the subject of a New York Times “Modern Love” piece called “My Brother’s Keepers,” a homage to the kind people who helped keep Mr. Matheson safe.
Mr. Matheson was preceded in death by his parents, Edith Fitzpatrick Matheson and George H. Matheson, Jr.; and sister, Margaret Brooks Matheson. He is survived by his sisters, Lorna Wyckoff (Randy) of Richmond, VA and Chris Scott (Jim) of Billings, MT, and their children, numerous great-nieces and nephews; and his beloved Connecticut cousins, the Curry family. Special thanks to the ever-vigilant staff at Nexus, Regina, Lloyd, Jim and Joan; to the Fire Department of Arlington for retrieving him so many times; to the wonderful caregivers at Woburn Rehabilitation and Nursing, the great non-profits of the region, dedicated to enabling the lives of special people, and to all the angels in the midst of Greater Boston who always, kindly and unquestioning kept tender watch.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Nexus.org
This obituary, published on Aug. 30, 2026, used information from the published death notice.
