Clair Frederick Mattson

He is preceded in death by his beloved wife, Cheryl; brother, Harold Mattson; and parents, Frederick (Shag) and Ruth (Toots) Mattson. Clair's legacy will live on in his daughter, Debra Gilroy; son, Kevin (Lisa); and grandsons, Cory and Tyler Mattson.

Clair grew up in Hoffman, MN, a small town surrounded by lakes and farmland. It was the perfect setting for a young boy to spend his days fishing and hunting which he continued to enjoy well into his seventies. He still has his trophy smallmouth bass on display in the house! Clair also excelled in sports throughout his school years and beyond.

Clair enlisted in the U.S. Army in June of 1955, shortly after the end of the Korean War. After graduation from basic military training (boot camp) at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he remained on post and completed clerk typist training. Clair also completed infantry training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 8077th Army Unit Transportation Traffic Regulation Detachment in South Korea from December 1955 to March 1957. Clair achieved the rank of Specialist Third Class (E-4) and was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal.

He attended Macalester College upon returning to the United States. It was during this time that he met Cheryl, the woman he would marry in 1959. They began their married life in Minneapolis where Debra was born. They then moved to Blaine, MN, and welcomed their son Kevin. A lifetime of sporting and music events with the kids, traveling as a family, holidays with relatives, and time with friends meant the world to him.

Clair was employed with the United States Postal Service for his entire career. Starting in Minneapolis with a foot route, he transferred to the Coon Rapids branch followed by the Blaine location. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, the latter being head postmaster in Hoffman, MN.

Clair was well-known for his sense of humor and spicy vocabulary. He could be counted on to keep the conversation flowing which usually ended up with quite a bit of hilarity once storytelling began. When he wasn’t entertaining friends and family, Clair could be found enjoying any number of athletic activities. He had a natural inclination for most sports, especially football and basketball soon to be followed by golf, racquetball, and tennis. Coaching was something he excelled at. He spent innumerable hours working with elementary and middle school teams Kevin was part of. If he wasn’t coaching, he was cheering on Kevin and later his grandsons, Cory and Tyler.

A memorial service to celebrate Clair’s life will be Sunday, April 7. Visitation will be at 1:00 pm followed by a Service of Remembrance at 2:00 pm at the Gearhart Funeral Chapel in Coon Rapids, MN.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared below for the Mattson family. Memorials preferred to www.dav.org