Paul S. Matteson

Paul S. Matteson, 95, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the family home in Huntsville, AL of natural causes. His two daughters, Lynn and Lisa, had provided excellent, around-the-clock care during his extended illness. He was the proud and loving husband of Shirley (Young) Matteson for 69 years until her passing in 2020. Born in Providence, RI July 20,1930, he was the son of the late Ralph R. (U.S. Marine Corp) and Edith G. (Smith) Matteson.

Paul and Shirley married while he served in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict. During his service he served as a Radar Technician at the Strategic Air Command.

After Paul’s honorable discharge, he and Shirley started their family in the little town of Verona N.Y. while Paul worked for General Electric in Syracuse’s Electronics Park as an Electronic Technician. He later transferred to the GE Saturn Program as a Production Control Analyst and relocated the family to Huntsville in November 1965. Paul left GE in 1973 due to NASA’s funding cuts to the Saturn/Apollo programs.

He then transitioned to the Tennessee Valley Authority as part of site management as a Construction Scheduler at the Watts Bar site near Chattanooga, TN. He avoided the long commute to the plant’s location for a few years by sleeping in his VW bus nightly and returning home to Huntsville each Friday afternoon. Later he was transferred to the Bellafonte Nuclear Plant in Scottsboro as a Configuration Control Analyst, and finally retired from TVA in 1988 after his final transfer to Browns Ferry Nuclear plant in Athens, AL.

Paul and Shirley are survived by three children: Mark P. Matteson and his wife Jean (Black), Lynn F. (Matteson) Frank and her husband Steve, and Lisa J. Matteson, all of Athens AL. A younger son, also of Athens, John E. Matteson (U.S. Marine Corp) preceded his father in death in March of this year; seven grandchildren; Christy (Matteson) Swafford, of Hilo, HI, Rebecca Frank, Madison, AL, Paul Matteson of Lone Tree, CO, Rachael (Frank) Watts of Atlanta, GA, Dylan Egeland and his brother Landon, both of Atlanta, GA, John Cameron Matteson of Huntsville and three great-grandchildren; Lara Swafford of Hilo, HI, Elaina G. Harkness of Atlanta, GA and Evelyn Egeland of Atlanta, GA

He is predeceased by his brothers, Ralph R. Matteson Jr and David C. Matteson. One sibling, his sister Connie Houde, resides in California.

As Paul wished, his ashes and his wife’s will be combined and scattered in one of his favorite spots. Family and friends well be notified and are welcome to join when the time comes. If you’d like to honor Paul, please consider a donation to the Veterans Affairs.