Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

David William Matheson

FALLS VILLAGE — David William Matheson, 81, of East Hartford, formerly of Falls Village, died April 23, 2025, at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford. David was the husband of Margaret (Kirkpatrick) Matheson. David and Margaret celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in May of 2024. David was born Jan. 10, 1944, at Sharon Hospital, son of the late Walter and Mary (Murphy) Matheson.

David graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village. He worked for 32 years for the State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation and retired as a General Supervisor.

He was very involved in youth sports and coached his son, David, in little league baseball, basketball (CYB) and the HVRHS golf team. He also coached his daughter, Erin, in basketball (CYB) as well. David’s greatest joy was his family, including nightly wiffle ball games.

In addition to his wife, David is survived by his son, David, his wife Nicole, and grandson, Nicholas, of Southington, Connecticut, and his daughter, Erin, of Peabody, Massachusetts. David is also survived by his brother, Sandy Matheson and his wife Diana; his sister Ann Matheson; his nephew John Matheson, his wife Judy and children, Paige and Jack; his sister-in-law Hazel McGuire; and his niece Michelle Hansen, and her husband Matt. David was predeceased by his in-laws Ralph and Sara Kirkpatrick; brother-in-law John Kirkpatrick; brother-in-law Edward McGuire; and Uncle Jack.

Funeral services will be private. Memorial donations may be sent to The East Hartford Fire Department, Attention: The Medical Division, 31 School Street, East Hartford, CT 06108. Arrangements are under the care of the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home, 118 Main Street, Canaan, CT 06018.

Latest News

A life reshaped by clay in “Matin”

Left to right: Hannah Wheeler, Matin Malikzada and Yonah Sadeh.

D.H. Callahan

On Monday, Oct. 26, a group of students, teachers and local residents gathered at the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville for a screening of the new short documentary “Matin.” The film tells the story of Matin Malikzada, a seventh-generation Afghani potter making a new life in New Milford, Connecticut. The film was made by local filmmaker Yonah Sadeh, creator of the Video Wall at the David M. Hunt Library, and Berkshires-based potter Hannah Wheeler, who were both present for the screening, along with Malikzada himself.

As a member of the seventh generation of his family to master the art of pottery, Malikzada had done things the way his family had for over a century. Istalif, the village where his family has lived for generations, was known throughout Afghanistan for its pottery, with wares sent across the country for use as everyday cups, bowls, plates and other vessels. The pottery-making families of Istalif gathered clay from the same mountain, about 30 to 45 minutes away by donkey. Every July, they would head north toward the Uzbekistan border to gather ishkar, a plant they processed by hand to make their signature glazes.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

Meg Sher finds her calling among the stacks

Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.

L. Tomaino

When Meg Sher came to Falls Village in 2006 from Old Lyme, Connecticut, where she grew up, she never imagined she’d someday be the executive director of the David M. Hunt Library.

Although, in hindsight, perhaps it makes sense.

Keep ReadingShow less
Crescendo’s 23rd season speaks to the heart and mind

Christine Gevert, founding artistic director of Crescendo, conducts the audience at a performance.

Steve Potter

For Christine Gevert, founding artistic director of Crescendo, music from centuries past is anything but a relic. It is a living, breathing art form, full of drama, emotional complexity and, occasionally, surprises. As the regional choral and period-instrument ensemble launches its 23rd season, Gevert is once again bringing forgotten masterpieces into the present.

“Early Music has been my lifelong passion and the focus of my specialization in Europe and South America,” Gevert said. “Bringing this repertoire to our audiences in a nuanced way that does justice to its incredible depth, intensity, and beauty is deeply important to me.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Close Encounters with Music celebrates 35 years of musical discovery

Close Encounters with Music’s 35th season opens with “Saluting the Clarinet” featuring clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein.

Provided

For 35 years, cellist Yehuda Hanani has been inviting audiences to experience classical music in unexpected ways. As founder and artistic director of Close Encounters with Music, Hanani has built a concert series that goes beyond the music itself, exploring connections to literature, history, politics and the human experience.

This year, Close Encounters celebrates its 35th season with “Celebration & Discovery,” a seven-concert series that opens Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.