Thomas Arthur Matrise, age 78, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 with his loving daughter, Lisa, by his side.

Thomas was born on September 13, 1944, to the late James and Margaret (Grasser) Matrise. He attended local schools and graduated from Bradford High School in 1964. Thomas proudly served his country during the Vietnam era in the US Army, 1965 to 1967. He married his high school sweetheart, Linda Marquissee, in 1966 and raised 3 children before divorcing several years later. In October of 1996, Thomas remarried to Kathleen Lewandowski-Perea.

Thomas had a great love and extraordinary talent for music as a self-taught musician on the guitar. Throughout his lifetime he formed several bands with friends and family starting in his high school years through the 1980s, the most memorable bands being the Rhythm Aires and LIFE. His bands entertained locally in Kenosha, as well as in Illinois, Minnesota, and Colorado, and he was involved in the Kenosha Federation of Musicians Union, Local 59. In addition, Thomas entertained service members in bands he played with during his years of military service. Thomas had a variety of careers in his life. Notable places of employment were Kenosha Memorial Hospital, Merkts Cheese, and La Salle Financial Insurance.

Thomas was a dedicated NASCAR fan, listening to races regularly while working on his own vehicles on a Sunday afternoon. He also personally worked on the racing circuit with drivers Mark Martin and Davy Allison.  Thomas enjoyed line dancing and a wide variety of music genres. He enjoyed listening to country and rock bands at fairs, picnics, and car shows. He loved classic cars and working on any car in general. He knew cars inside and out and was an amazing mechanic and body work buff. Tom enjoyed being outdoors and working in the yard or the garage, and he had an incredible knack for fixing things even without the correct parts! Above all, Tom enjoyed talking with people, especially new acquaintances. He liked to know where they were from and shared stories with them.

Thomas is survived by his wife, Kathleen; his children, Connie Jacob, Lisa (Mike) Sinda, and Scott Matrise; his stepchildren, Amii (Andrew) LaPointe and Eric (Blake) Perea; Papa to Kevin (Kendra) Jacob, Brad Jacob, Mason Sinda, and Riley Sinda; Grandpa Tom to Luciano Matrise, Aiden LaPointe, Abigail LaPointe, and Finnigan Perea. He is further survived by his siblings, Elizabeth Pasch, Michael (Lynne) Matrise, and Rosemary Burns; and his beloved kitties, Rinky, Dinky, and Pinky, and his ‘doggie’, Brindle.

Thomas is preceded in death by siblings, Antoinette Christiansen, John Matrise, James Matrise, and his dear son-in-law, Dan Jacob.

Service Info

Funeral services with full military honors remembering Thomas’s life will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the Piasecki Funeral Home, 3720 39th Ave, Kenosha, WI.

A visitation for Thomas will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.

A private burial for family will take place at the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove, WI, at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Thomas’s honor to HAWS (Humane Animal Welfare Society) of Waukesha at hawspets.org, or mail directly to 701 Northview Road, Waukesha, WI 53188.