Frank H. Matthes, of Hampton Bays, a retired major in the U.S. Air Force, died on July 7. He was 81.
Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, to Fred and Doris (Lane) Matthes, he went into active duty on May 11, 1964, at first in the Navy and then to the Air Force to train as a fighter pilot. He was a test pilot, fighter pilot, and flew F-86, 101 Voodo, and F4 among others. He was the first pilot to fly Mach 2 at Suffolk County Air Force Base.
He met his wife of 52 years, Benita Povilauckas, of Quogue, while stationed at Suffolk County Air Force Base. He retired from the Air Force on August 31, 1976. Upon returning to Hampton Bays, he worked at Grumman. Over the course of his life, he was a fighter pilot, a sheriff in Virginia, an avid boater, woodworker, animal lover and family man.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by daughters, Shelley Berkoski and husband Thomas, and Lori Aube and husband Dan, and Debbie Sue Tlockowski and partner Paul Ferrari; and grandchildren, Jonathan and Kyle Berkoski, Samantha, Daniel, Joshua and Ava Aube, and Autumn Rose Tlockowski. He was predeceased by a brother, Robert F. Matthes.
Family and friends gathered on July 10 at J. Ronald Scott Funeral Home in Hampton Bays where the VFW and Elks held services. A funeral took place on July 11 at the Basilica Parish of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Southampton, followed by burial at Quogue Cemetery with military honors.
Memorial donations may be made to the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue, wildliferescuecenter.org; Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation, southamptonanimalshelter.com; or the Long Island Veterans Home in Stony Brook, listateveteranshome.org.
on Jul 14, 2016