Obituary of Cecelia M. Matyjas

Cecelia “Sally” M. Matyjas passed away October 3, 2024 in Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.  Born September 1, 1942 in Niagara Falls, NY, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Cecelia (Golanka) Czekaj.  Sally married Walter Matyjas on May 1, 1965, and they built their home together in Pendleton where they raised their family and resided for the remainder of her life.

Sally had a passion for teaching that began at a young age by tutoring fellow students in a one-room Pendleton schoolhouse which she attended.  She pursued that passion by attending Buffalo State University and earning a Masters degree in math education.  Sally motivated and influenced multiple generations of math students in her 35-year career at Starpoint Central School.

Sally dedicated her life to her family, church, and Polish heritage. She was an active parishioner at Good Shepherd Church and St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Niagara Falls for several decades, helping to run the Annual Polish Festival. Sally loved to dance the polka, which is how she met her husband. She also shared that love of music with her sons and grandchildren, evidenced by many polka dance contest trophies and polka TV shows.  She had many friends in the Polish community and enjoyed organizing various bus trips from the Catskills to Ocean City to see her favorite musicians including John Gora at festivals.

Gardening and canning were other interests that Sally had.  The family favorite was her canned peaches which she raised all of her grandchildren on.  She had a competitive spirit.  As a young girl she enjoyed playing softball then later cheered for the Buffalo Bills and Sabres.  Pinochle was her favorite card game, and she played it until her last days. Crossword puzzles, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy filled many evenings for her.

Cecelia is survived by her husband of 59.5 years Walter Matyjas; three sons Walt (Mary Ann) Matyjas, Matthew (Michelle) Matyjas, and John (Lauren) Matyjas; grandchildren Christina, Jonathon, Madison, Macy, Matthew, Zachary, Kathryn, and Meghan; siblings Felecia (late Eugene) Szpilewski, Josephine (late Michael) Gruszewski, and predeceased by Chester (Linda) Czekaj and Remigius (late Marilyn) Czekaj; also survived by several nieces and nephews.  The family would like to thank Nancy Comstock, Julie Tyczynski, and Dr. Beney for all their kindness and caregiving especially this past year.

Visitation will be Monday, October 14 from 4-7pm at Prudden & Kandt Funeral Home, 242 Genesee Street, Lockport, NY 14094. Funeral Mass will be held 10am on Tuesday, October 15 at Good Shepherd Church, 5442 Tonawanda Creek Road N., Pendleton, New York 14120, followed by entombment at Queen of Heaven Mausoleum, 6843 Tonawanda Creek Road, Lockport, NY 14094. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Starpoint High School “Cecelia M. Matyjas Memorial Scholarship” via GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/matyjas-stem-scholarship or to the Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital ICU waiting room in her memory.