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Mary Frances Billingsley Matt

Mary Frances Billingsley Matt, 85, of Chester, passed peacefully into eternal life at Chestelm Health and Rehabilitation Center with John, her loving husband of 62 years, by her side on March 2, 2024.

Mary was born in Stamford on Oct. 28, 1938. She was the second daughter born to Charlotte Bode Billingsley and Francis J. “Frank” Billingsley. After graduating from Darien High School, she pursued her love of art at Washington University’s School of Fine Arts in St. Louis (1956-'58) and as a painting major at Syracuse University (1958-'60), where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Two years later, she earned her Master of Fine Arts from Boston University’s School of Fine and Applied Arts and received the C. Comstock Clayton Award in painting.

In the summer of 1961, having received a full scholarship to study at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, Maine, Mary met the love of her life, John Matt, a sculptor from Richmond, Virginia. Their mutual love of art and the Catholic faith drew them together in a dramatic way on their first weekend at Skowhegan when they attended Sunday Mass on a particularly sultry day. Mary, overcome by the heat midway through the Mass, asked John to accompany her outside before she fainted. Once seated on the steps of the church, they participated in the remainder of the Mass together; for the remainder of the summer, they were virtually inseparable.

On May 16, 1962, Mary and John were married at St. John Church in Darien. They spent the next year painting and sculpting in Florence, Italy. Upon their return to the United States, they set up studios in Killingworth and started a family; their sons, Andrew “Andy” and Thomas “Tom”, were born in 1963 and 1966, respectively. While raising her children, Mary continued to paint and exhibited her work in shows across the country, including at Barnard College in New York City, which received fine reviews in The New York Times.

In 1970, the family lived in Rome, Italy, after John was awarded a Prix de Rome to work at the American Academy there. Mary continued painting while also taking care of the children. Returning to the United States, they purchased a home in Chester. Mary and John continued their work, completing many commissions and also teaching art classes at a variety of schools and colleges. For nearly 15 years, Mary was the art instructor at The Foote School in New Haven.

In the early 1980s, Mary and John became active in the Charismatic Renewal at their parish of St. Joseph Church in Chester, and the entire family experienced a deepening of their faith. At times, this led to some interesting (and sometimes humorous) religious experiences. On one particularly memorable occasion, Mary once found herself locked in a room together with Mother Teresa of Calcutta at an event in the South Bronx; unable to open the door, the two diminutive women resorted to banging the door with their fists until they were finally heard above the din on the other side and liberated — to great cheers of joy.

Beginning in 1990, the arc of Mary’s visual art moved from acrylic painting and fabric wall hangings to an extended series of still-life paintings in gouache, based on scenes from the life of Christ and Mary, which she dubbed “shrines.” In 2010, many of these paintings were published in the book The Life of Jesus: An Illustrated Rosary. She produced dozens more of her distinctive shrine paintings until the year 2023; 21 framed shrine paintings are now housed permanently at Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford.

For decades, Mary and John were faithful and active members of St. Joseph Church (and, later, St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish), attending daily Mass both at St. Joseph’s and Our Lady of Sorrows, in Essex, where they had many friends. Mary was an enthusiastic CCD instructor at St. Joseph’s for several decades, served on the parish council, and loved participating in parish events.

Above all, Mary was a loving wife and mother who sacrificed for her family and friends alike. She was a sensitive listener with a warm and lively sense of humor. Her reassuring presence and consistent positive reinforcement were among her most memorable traits, together with her easy laughter and radiant smile.

Mary is survived by her husband, John, and her sons, Andrew (Martha) Matt of Chester and Thomas Matt of Chester. She is also survived by her two grandsons, Samuel and Louis Matt; her nephew, Garrett Sullivan; nieces Tracy (Sullivan) Kirk, Amy (Sullivan) Prince, and Sheila Sullivan, and their families. Along with her parents, Mary was predeceased by her sister, Catherine Billingsley Sullivan.

Visitation was held on March 10 at the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main Street in Centerbrook. A funeral Mass was held on March 11 at Saint Joseph Church, 48 Middlesex Avenue in Chester. Burial followed in Saint Joseph’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph Church.

To share a memory of Mary or send a condolence to her family, please visit www.rwwfh.com.