Arthur Paul Mattos
May 27, 1917 - May 10, 2004

"Dad, be on the look out for Mom...."

"91 years ago today....the thumb says 92......."

"4-Years Ago Today: The memories will never fade away......."

"Still doesn't feel real. I love you, Dad"

"Grimp, I will be arriving home in a few days to visit Grandma and my mom. I really miss coming home and seeing you. I will be a grandmother myself in a month or so. I really wish that you were here to see my grandson when he arrives. Daryl and I are not ready to be grandparents seeing we are so young ourselves but having you and grandma as my grandparents and all the love you two gave to me all those years I want to be the best grandparent a kid could ever ask for like you and grandma were. I could have never ever asked for better grandparents then you. I love you and I miss you so much. I will stop by and visit with you while I am home."

"almost another Christmas is here.. Missing you & its not the same any more still I Love and Miss You"

"Happy Brithday, Pops. We miss you. So far, it's been a "lousy summer"..........."

"Second Year Anniversary: The cherry trees once again are in full bloom - how you loved to see that. Ironic that you died just as everything around us springs to life. You will live in our hearts forever. We love you, Dad."

"Grimp I miss you so much. If has been almost 2 years now since you have passed. Your sister Aggie is now coming to join you. Now you do not have to be so lonely. I love you... Kathy"

"Another Christmas without you.. the pain is still there.. you are still with me always. Merry Christmas Dad Love, Carol"

"i love you and miss you so much! i will never forget you! I miss you not being at Sunday dinner anymore...i miss you terribly : -kayla"

"Dad... One year has passed ... I can't believe it...you are missed so much..My life has changed so much.. wish we could get our coffee & go to Ocean Drive so I could tell you all about it...now I'll take my DD to your new home & talk to you..Did you like the pink carnations? I love you.."

"It has been a year since you left us Grandpa. There is not a second in the day that you are not in my thoughts. I have been showing all your picutes to my kids seeing Brittany did not get too much time with you seeing I had to move so far away. I tell her every day that you were the best grandfather anyone could ever have. I love you and I miss you so much Grandpa. I will see you in July when i come visit Grandma."

"dad, its been almost a year now, and not a day goes by that i dont think of you, and how much i love and miss you. i know youre looking down on us, and waiting for the day we'll all be together again, and can have cookouts and sunday dinners together again. don't worry about mom, we're all taking good care of her. she told me the little fisherman is still talking, i take that as a good sign. i'll be out to see you soon. i love and miss you, love, #2 daughter kath xxxoooooooooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooo"

"Happy Easter. I love you and miss you"

"I love you, Dad."

"Dad.. Christmas wasn't the same this year. No wonder I wasn't in the mood .. I miss you.. Love, Carol"

"Grimp, It has been almost 6 months since you have left us. You are missed very much. I am so happy that I never got the chance to see you sick because I do not want that kind of memory of you. I will always treasure the happy memories I have had with you. Like going to the beach with you when I was little and my mom would not like me past my knees and you always took me out way over my head. Even as I got older and you had your stand at the Gateway cennter I loved going in there and helping you out because I got to spend time with you. When I graduated High School and worked at the bank and during my lunch breaks I pretty much always came to have lunch with you. When I moved away from you and you started getting sick and not remembering everyone you still seemed to remembered me everytime I called and you answered. That always made me happy. When I came to visit you that was different you did not know me. You kept asking me who I was and that hurt deep inside but I was always proud to tell you that I was your granddaughter. I love you Grimp and I will always miss you...."

"Grandpa, I MISS YOU SO MUCH! Last Sunday, I went down to your basement and into your old room. Everything was still in it's place since you passed away. It really did make me want to cry. I love YOU! I will never will forget you. LOVE, KAYLA KEMPER"

"Time has slowed the tears, but has not dulled the pain. Five long months. I love you, Dad."

"Four months that seem like forever. I miss you, Dad."

"August 28, 1939 - August 28, 2004....65th wedding anniversary of Art and Dot Mattos, our Mom and Dad. 50th, 55th, and 60th were marked with celebration. This milestone, like all future milestones not reached will pass silently. Just another painful reminder of the finality of your passing. You will live forever in our hearts."

"Happy Anniversary.."

"Dad.. Dukie is on his way there... Meet him at the Gates...May you both RIP Love, Carol"

"Dad.. its 3 months today since the Lord took you home.. I miss you & always will.. Love, Carol"

"You left us three months ago tonight. It seems like forever. You are constantly in my thoughts. I miss you, Dad. Love, Barbara"

"Dad.. how do you like the stone?? I;d climb those stairs in a heartbeat if it would bring you home!!!"

"Dad...its been 2 months tomorrow since you left us.. It still hurts so much.. I;m sure you are looking down on us..How do you like the little bunny? Love, Carol"

"Dad.. this is going to be the worse Fathers Day ever!! I may "walk this way" alone, but you are with me always.. xoxoxox"

"Dear Mattos/Kemper Family: We are so sorry to hear of the passing of Art. He was such a lovely, sweet man.I remember my first time to New Port he was so generous in explaining the history of the mansions. He never seemed to tire of telling the history of New Port. It was clear he had a true love for the history of his state and for people. He made the world a kinder place to live. Sincerely, Mary and John Biemer"

"Dad... its been a long 3 weeks..I know you are looking down at us.. We missed you at the cookout Sunday.. :o"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD.... even though we won't be having cake this year, you are in my thoughts & prayers today.. I will be out to sing Happy Birthday to you later today..Love, Carol xoxox"

"Today is your 87th birthday. We watched the video of your party last year. You were so funny. We brought Mom and Art out to visit you today. There were flowers and a card from Carol. We put daisies from our garden there. We love and miss you."

"Dear Dad, I have dreaded this day forever. I remember lying in bed as a young child and worrying about losing you one day. Those fears followed me for my entire life. Maybe it is because you had me at age 45, I knew that I would have to face losing you so much sooner than most people lose their Dads. I used to think this was a heavy burden to carry, but looking back, I see that it actually made me appreciate you and to cherish our time together even more. I have a lifetime of beautiful memories of time spent with you. My photo albums and my heart are filled with pictures of happy times spent together. My heart is aching so much and I can not bear the thought of life without you. The center of our family - our rock. Such a simple, hard working and dedicated Father that loved his family so much. Thank you for teaching me to love life and family more than anything. Thank you for making me feel so safe and loved. Thank you for sharing your life so openly with me and my family. Thany you for always greeting us with a warm and welcoming smile and for making us always feel like the most important people in the world. I know there were so many times that you didn't feel well and the kids were running around, but you never complained. Thank you for loving my children so much. You were everything to them. So many things remind me of you - your presence is in just about every facet of my life. They say you outlived your disease and time and time again you amazed the doctors. They couldn't figure out how you did it. It was so simple to me - you loved life so much. You were not ready to die. You wouldn't leave until you were sure we would all be OK. We stood by and watched you slowly leave us - body and mind. But you never lost your spirit - your spirit will never die. You will live on inside our hearts forever. The brown recliner and the porch rocker sit empty now and the lord has told you to "walk this way". You were truly one in a million, Dad. There has never and will never be anyone like you. I love you!"

"Dad.. when my life crashed around me in July, I thought I could never hurt any more...May 10th proved to be the biggest hurt of all.. the day God called you home..I know you are in good hands now & i will see you again one day..I miss you so much!! Love, Carol"

"Strong as a Bull and Solid as a Rock, he was the guy at the head of the table. The same chair, the same coffee cup, and the same white t-shirt, for as long as we can remember. Every meal was an event, filled with conversation. There was no dead air in our house. The stories he told us were filled with detail, and he told them repeatedly, and exactly the same every time. Stories about the Navy, and working on the Base, and driving his Taxi. Stories about his childhood, pearl diving, delivering groceries, selling day-old newspapers to the sailors, and swimming off the Ann Street Pier. The cast of characters from his stories could fill a TV sit-com, or a Saturday morning cartoon. Jakowski, Stabilly, Pacheeco, Shorty Bonds, Timmy the Woodhooker, Dirty Julia. The list goes on and on. He was an Idea Man, always thinking-up ways to improve the world. His basement workshop was filled with tools and nails, and hooks, all neatly arranged in baby food jars hanging from the ceiling. He could fix just about anything. He Loved Newport, and he loved to talk, so it?s only natural that he would turn his passion into a business. Every tour started the same: ?Welcome to Newport, the City by the Sea, America?s First Resort?. He was Newport?s best-kept secret, a true ambassador of hospitality. He would stop strangers on the street, offering suggestions of places to go and things to see. From his perch on the front porch, this tough old bird would ask people ?Where are you from?, and proudly tell them ?I?m from Newport?. He?d walk the streets with his video camera, filming everything in sight. The next day, he?d do it again, unknowingly taping over his previous efforts. Armed with a handful of brochures and a pocket full of pineapple pins, he?d stand on the corner waiting for the tour busses to arrive. Dot would be standing on the front porch, watching, waiting to see him safely board the coach, and even though his 3-hour tours often ended-up being 4 or 5-hour tours, Dot would still have his sandwich and his coffee ready for him when he returned. It?s hard to talk about our Father without also talking about our Mother. They worked as a team, and together, they were the pivotal center of our Family. No matter what direction life took us, there was a comfort knowing that everything always stayed the same at 6 Barney St., and we could always come home. Every Holiday, every Sunday Dinner, and every special occasion started and ended at 6 Barney Street. Sometimes there would be 20, 30, 40 people crammed into a 2-bedroom first floor apartment, spilling out onto the front porch and into the back yard. It was a never-ending stream of life cycle events. This marks the final life cycle event for our Father. As he would say, this is his ?Last Hurrah?. The old sailor with two holes in his nose has faded away, and he will be missed. Life will never be the same for any of us, but we will continue as best we can, and we will always remember him. When the Japanese Cherry Trees are in bloom, we?ll think of our Father. When the Tall Ships are sailing into Narragansett Bay, we?ll think of our Father. And when we have an empty feeling in our hearts, we?ll fill it with the memory of our Father. We Love you, Dad, and the emptiness we feel right now is unbearable, but together we?ll get through this. Please don?t worry about Dot. We?ll take good care of her, the same way that you?ve taken good care of us, for as long as we can remember."

"To Barbara and all the Mattos Family, We would like to extend our condolences to the Mattos family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Art was sweet, gentle and went out of his way to make us feel at home. We will remember him in his skillfully narrated video journals of the Newport area year round. With warm regards, Joseph and Linda Kemper"

"grimp, i will always have so many happy memories of growing up with you and mom. you made me feel so safe and loved. im glad i came last month to see you. i love and miss you so much, save a spot for me. well be together again one day. i love you. love, kath"

"So very sorry to hear of Mr. Mattos' passing. My deepest sympathies to Mrs. Mattos and all the family. Derek Cooper"

"Dear Carol,Barbara & Scooter, We are so sorry to hear about Grimp. He was such a sweet man. Your family was so lucky to have someone like him. I'm sure he will be greatly missed ! Always remember the happy memories of him, and somehow that will get you through the rough times. You're all in our thoughts and prayers. Love, Michelle & Mike Williams"

"Barbara, I am sorry I haven't had a chance to talk to you about your father. You are in our prayers. Maybe I'll see you this weekend. Let us know if there is anything we can do."

"Kathy and Carol, I just learned of the loss of your father. Please know my thougts and prayers are with you. May God bless your family in this time of sorrow. Sincerely, Marilyn"

"Grandpa, everyone is going to miss you so much, you were such a great man, and I know you are in a place now where you can be healthy and happy and not in any pain, you've had a great life any many great times, surrounded by so many people that love and care about you so much. you meant the world to me, and still do, and I'm so happy that I got to see you as much as I did in the past year, I'm going to miss you more that words could ever explain. I love you so much. your grandaughter, EMily"

"Carolyn and family, I am so sorry to hear about your loss of your father. Wishing you to be upheld on God's love during this time of sorrow."

"Barbara, I am very sorry to hear about this. My condolences to you, your family and your children. Dennis, Irene, David and Victoria"

"To all the members of the Mattos family: We were sorry to hear about the loss of your dad. It's hard to believe that we've known each other for over 40 years! I have so many fond memories living on Alan Court and having you as our neighbors and friends at 6 Barney Street. From playing with all the neighborhood kids, to the wonderful gatherings in the backyard, and my favorite, Halloween! Your husband, dad, grandfather will be missed but he enlightened the hearts of everyone he met. Love, Debbie"

"Grimp... i am going to miss you like you can't believe..I know you are in a better place now & not in any pain.. I am so glad I was with you thoughtout this journey and had the training to make you comfy.. I love you..and will see you one day again.. Love, #1 daughter Carol xoxo"

"Our thoughts and prayers are with you. From the Total Body Wellness Staff"

"Dear Kayla, I'm very sorry about your grandfather. I remember when he used to call himself King Arthur! You may not see him right beside you but he will always be there. Love, Erin"

"Barb and to all of the Mattos family - I was so sorry to hear about the passing of your father. He was such an incredible person. I have many fond memories of the time that I have spent with all of you. Your Dad always brightened the room with his ever present positive attitude and love of life. Know that my thoughts and prayers are with all of you right now. I wish I could be there but know in my heart that I am. Love, Susan"

"Arthur, I am sad to learn of the death of your father. In working with you over the years, it was always a cheerful time to hear you relate the pleasant times following your visits to Newport....Also, it was such a plesure meeting your parents, a few years ago, recorded in one of the most colorful pictures I have. My thoughts and prayers go out to you, and your family, during this difficult time."

"AP, I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your father. I know how much you loved and respected that man, as your Father and as a friend. I cannot imagine the sense of loss that you must be experiencing. May all of the warm and happy memories that you shared together, provide strength and comfort to you and your family as you grieve your loss. With deepest sympathy, David Craig Monroe, NC"

"Grandpa, I love you so much and WILL ALWAYS love you. You made my life fun and exciting. You taught me how to stay in the lines in drawing and more! Just remember, I'll NEVER forget you."

"Barbara and family... Such sad news...our thoughts and prayers are with you and especially your mom...if we can do anything please don't hesitate...he will be with you forever as an angel...I'm so glad he saw Garrett..."

"With our deep sympathy and heart felt regrets, Jim, Cheryl, Sarah and Andrew Zamil."

"Arthur, Hal and I are so sorry to hear of the passing of your dad. You, Beth, your children and your family are in our prayers. With Deepest Sympathy, Karen and Hal Allen"

"Grandpa I will miss you dearly. I love you very much."