Matthew John Conlon

Matthew John Conlon, 66, of Murrells Inlet, passed away on Thursday, August 4th with family by his side. He was born July 17, 1956 to John L. Conlon and Eileen W. (Cooney) Conlon in Fall River, MA.

He grew up in Fall River and graduated from B.M.C. Durfee High School in 1974, before serving in the US Navy for six years. Matthew sailed on the USS Briscoe (DD 977) as an Electronic Warfare technician, and was awarded a Navy Achievement Medal for developing an improved Electronic Order of Battle. After the Navy, Matthew worked for Hughes Corporation and General Dynamics as a technical writer. In the late 1990s, he established and led a software engineering team which pioneered cutting-edge, simulation-based training for the US Army. He was at the forefront of technology transitions from paper to computer-based, to web-enabled training systems and received corporate recognitions for his creativity and drive. He retired in northern Virginia, supporting his life partner in her career pursuits. They recently moved to Murrells Inlet to escape the snow and be closer to family.

Matthew had a seemingly boundless curiosity, a bit of mischievousness and a hunger for learning throughout his life. He was an avid reader, a student of history, and appreciated the wit of Mark Twain. He enjoyed the outdoors through camping, hiking, fishing, and kayaking. He said some of his best memories were “sitting in the woods by a little fire”.

Matthew was a foodie and spent lots of time in the kitchen developing wonderful meals and dehydrating food for hikes along the Appalachian Trail. He often participated on-line in the Fall River and Northern Virginia Foodie Groups. He was an amateur photographer with a keen eye for natural beauty, and was artistic with a pencil as well as an able craftsman. He liked catching up with his family and was deeply proud of his children and grandchildren.

Matthew will live on in the hearts and memories of his best friend and partner of 21 years, Courtney Daragan of Murrells Inlet; his daughter, Jennifer Levesque, of Westfield, MA; his son, Jeff and wife, Ashley of Conroe, TX; and four sisters Helen Pichette and her husband Russ of South Dartmouth, MA; Sheila Conlon and her partner Robert D’Ambrosio of Dartmouth, MA; Maureen Conlon of Delray Beach, FL; and Deirdre Conlon of Somerset, MA; grandchildren Aiden, Payton, Ryann, Ivy, Violet and John; nephew, Anthony and a number of friends and extended family.

He is preceded in death by his parents and younger brother, Johnny.

A family celebration of Matthew’s life will be held on the USS Massachusetts, located at Battleship Cove Museum, 5 Water St, Fall River, MA 02721, on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 10:00 am.

Family, friends and acquaintances are encouraged to share a memory of Matthew in the online guest book.

At the request of the family, please consider memorial contributions in lieu of flowers. Donations in Matthew’s name may be made to the National Park Service, www.nps.gov, or the National Kidney Foundation, www.kidney.org.  

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.