Ormsby H. Matthiessen

Cis Hanes Matthiessen, a longtime Connecticut resident, died Oct. 3, 2023 at her home in Chester. Born November 15, 1928 in New York City, Cis was the daughter of John Wesley Hanes and Elizabeth Agnes Mitchel Hanes. Cis graduated from Garrison Forest School in Maryland, then attended Vassar College and graduated from Mills College in New York. In 1952, Cis married childhood friend George Carey Matthiessen, to whom she was married until his death in 2017. After raising a family, Cis earned a Masters in Education from Lesley University School of Education 1975. Cis and Carey lived in Weston, Edgartown, Marion, and Osterville in Massachusetts and in Old Lyme, Lyme, and Chester, Conn., as well as Fishers Island, N.Y. In addition to raising five children, Cis worked as a special education teacher, was an accomplished equestrian who kept and showed horses as well as breeding and showing mini horses, and helped Carey with his commercial oyster hatchery at Ocean Pond on Fishers Island. During their 65 years together, Cis and Carey traveled widely and enjoyed birding, boating, skiing, dogs, and spending time with friends and family. Although reserved, Cis was a gracious and warm-hearted person full of empathy for people and animals; she was often engaged in volunteer work —from the 4H to High Hopes to Meals on Wheels — and gave generously to a variety of charities. Cis loved to be surrounded by people, always joined in whether in work or play, and urged each of her children to be “a do-er and a joiner.” She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and relished family gatherings, the larger the better, always welcoming new in-laws and friends to join the clan. Cis is predeceased by her brothers, John W. Hanes II and David G. Hanes, and by her sister June Hanes McKnight. She is survived by a large family that will miss her very much, including her sister, Susan Caldwell; four daughters: Martina and her husband Gary Lively, Connie Matthiessen, Hope Matthiessen and her husband David Boorstin, and Betsy Matthiessen and her husband Robert van Dernoot; a son John and his wife Alex Matthiessen; as well as twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Cis’s name to Best Friends (bestfriends.org).