Obituary: Joseph M. Mattei, 86; Longtime North Haven Coach

HAMDEN, CT — (From Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home): Joseph M. Mattei, 86, of Hamden, passed away on February 18, 2024, at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was born in New Haven on August 17, 1937, a son of the late Dominic and Frances (DeMatteo) Mattei.

After graduating from Hillhouse High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac College. He went on to work at S.N.E.T., where he worked as a computer systems manager for 30 years. His true passion was sports, especially coaching.

Joe began his coaching career in the 1960’s, coaching North Haven youth basketball and football and was one of the founders of the North Haven Youth basketball league. From 1990 to 1994, he coached basketball at North Haven Junior High and then North Haven High School as head coach of the freshman team.

Joe also coached North Haven Babe Ruth for nine years and was head coach of the North Haven American Legion Post 76 baseball team, where he coached for 30 years, had 440 career wins, received the CT Amateur Baseball Coach of the Year Award in 1987, and was inducted into the American Legion Hall of Fame in 2018.

Joe’s American Legion Post 76 baseball teams won seven zone titles and his 1972 team won a State and NE title and advanced to the American Legion World Series in Memphis, TN. From 1988-1996 he was an assistant coach of the Quinnipiac College baseball team, becoming head coach in 1997. From 1997 until 2001, as head coach, he oversaw the transition of the baseball program from Division 2 to Division 1 and received the Northeast 10 Coach of the Year Award after winning the NE-10 Championship.

In 2022 he received the CT American Legion Leadership Award and most recently, in 2023, he was inducted into the North Haven High School Sports Hall of Fame.

Joe is survived by his sisters, Elizabeth Mikolike and Marietta Mattei, his ex-wife Margaret (Stochmal) Mattei, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Besides his parents he was predeceased by his brother-in-law, Frank Mikolike.

A funeral service celebrating Joe’s life will be held on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 11 a.m. in Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Friends may visit with his family from 9:30-11 a.m. before the service. Interment will be held in All Saints Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Joe can be made to the Joseph M. Mattei Endowed Scholarship for Baseball at Quinnipiac University. Please visit www.qu.edu/give or send donations to Quinnipiac University Office of Development & Alumni Affairs, 275 Mt. Carmel Ave., Hamden, CT 06518.

For more information and to leave online condolences, visit Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home here.