William Hart Mathews Sr., of Wilton, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, Apr. 7, 2026 at the age of 88 after a brief time in hospice care. Bill was the beloved husband of Susan Logie Mathews.
In 1990, Boy Scout Troop 125 canoed through 150 miles of Canadian wilderness as the culmination of a multi-year effort that was Bill’s brainchild. As scoutmaster, and true to his roots as a long-time IBMer, he helped plan a meticulous four-year program to complete a 14-day expedition down the Missinaibi River in northern Ontario. When a medical emergency forced one of the professional guides to be airlifted from the riverbank half-way through that trip, those teenage boys quickly re-grouped, reorganized, and reworked the itinerary to reach the pickup spot on-time, four days later. It was a true testament to the motto: Be Prepared. Most of those boys went on to reach the rank of Eagle Scout, thanks in no small part to yet another multi-year plan implemented by Bill Mathews.
Born in Cleveland, OH on Dec. 17, 1937, Bill was the son of the late Walter Harry Mathews and Elizabeth Brindley, and the older brother of the late Thomas Owen Mathews. An athletic, if undersized, youth, he spent his formative years growing up in the village of Kenmore, next to Buffalo, NY. In 1955, he graduated a semester early from Kenmore High School, where he also developed his life-long appreciation for the game of football, long tested by his allegiance to the Buffalo Bills. Never one to hold back on a story from his youth, he loved to explain his decision to run track during the spring season as a way to keep in shape for fall sports. He chose the 440-yard dash thinking that it was the shortest long-distance race, but was chagrined to learn that, in fact, it was the longest sprint.
Bill graduated from the Case Institute of Technology in 1960, where his friends all knew him as “Eddie”. He acquired that nickname from his Phi Kappa Tau fraternity brothers while they piled in to watch the 1957 World Series starring the Milwaukee Braves third baseman who also spelled Mathews “with one T”. Shortly after graduating, Bill started his long career in sales for IBM. Bill and Susan met through shared acquaintances while they both worked at IBM, and after a long courtship, were married in 1970. They moved to Wilton in 1974 where they raised their three sons, Will, Rob and Topher.
Even a quick glance at his basement office will show how much Bill enjoyed camping in the wilderness, gathering for a yearly trip to the Adirondacks to renew the bond with close friends and fellow fathers from that epic journey in Canada. A lifelong learner, his bookshelf shows he loved reading about history as well as new-fangled technology. Upon retiring from IBM after 30-plus years, he started a consulting business designing sites for small businesses during the nascent days of the world wide web. A quick glance around the office will also show his love of sailing, and how adamant he was to focus on the glass as half-full, building strong friendships over a cup of coffee, and being a positive force in the lives of everyone he interacted with.
William Mathews is survived by his loving wife, Susan; and his three sons, Will (and his partner Suzana Prata) of New Fairfield, Rob (and his wife Tara Watson) of Chevy Chase, MD, and Topher (and his wife Elizabeth Arens) of Washington, DC. He will be remembered fondly by his four grandchildren, Emma, Piper, Corin and Eleanor, of whom he was immensely proud.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. at Wilton Presbyterian Church (48 New Canaan Rd.). To offer online condolences to his family or to share memories, visit Bouton Funeral Home online.