Craig Mattheis

Craig Austin Mattheis, age 64, of Forked River, NJ, formerly of Pompton Lakes, NJ, died peacefully at home on May 12, 2025, with Ingrid, his loving girlfriend of 26 years, by his side.

Craig was born in Chicago, IL to Phyllis and Harley Mattheis. He was the second of seven children, and lived in Des Plaines, IL for his first 7 years. His family moved to Verona, NJ in 1967, moved to Mundelein, IL in 1976, and back to Verona in 1977, which he considered to be his hometown.

Craig attended St. Mary’s elementary school in Des Plaines, IL, Our Lady of the Lake School in Verona, Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, Verona High School in Verona, and Mundelein High School in Mundelein, IL. He studied landscape management at Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ.

Craig owned his own landscaping business for over 40 years. He worked to live the kind of life he wanted. On a rainy day you could find Craig fishing. He was lucky enough to work for himself, so he set the rules. He loved the weather channel, giving him a view of what lay ahead each day—work or fishing. During his off season, Craig would go to Lake George and ice fish for several months each year. Be it fishing at local lakes and reservoirs, the ocean, or catching salmon in Alaska, the whole experience was met with the exuberant anticipation of a kid on Christmas morning. It was even more enhanced by the presence of any of his brothers Colin, Garret, or Chris, or the many good friends that he fished with and the stories they shared.

Craig’s passion for the outdoors was most evident in his excitement for his annual camping trip to Hermit Island, Maine, which spanned over 3 decades. Throughout the years, he and Ingrid invited family and friends to join them on the camping trip. Everyone that went could easily see why Craig loved it so much. Craig loved the fishing, and even more so, the beautiful surroundings. It was the best part of the year to him, and each year that he left the campground, the countdown began for next year’s trip.

Craig was an avid reader of nonfiction, devouring books on WW2, biographies, and history. His love for reading showed in his animated description of his latest read or book share with his Mom or brother, Colin who matched his passion for reading.

Craig enjoyed watching football and baseball, and loved his home teams, his favorites being the NY Jets and the Chicago Cubs. Being a fan of those teams, he knew to appreciate a good game rather than expect that they’d go all the way. He also enjoyed rooting for the NY Giants (but let it be known that he was more of a Jets fan), the Chicago Bears, the NY Yankees and Mets.

While those were the things he enjoyed in life, nothing could compare to the love and devotion he had toward his girlfriend Ingrid and his step-daughter Erika. Through their years together, he loved watching Erika grow up. Craig shared many stories of the funny things Erika said and did as a child. As she grew up, his stories became all about the things she accomplished, which made him so proud. He absolutely adored Ingrid. His admiration for her was evident in the way that he always spoke so highly of her. Barely a conversation would go by without a mention of something she said or did that he appreciated. Her love was what kept him going in these last few years.

It’s difficult to sum up in mere words who a person was or what their life was. Craig was a good man with a great sense of humor, and was dearly loved by his family and friends. He will be remembered in the stories we tell and the cherished memories we carry with us.

Please join us in remembering Craig on Saturday June 7 from 1pm to 4 pm at Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona NJ, followed by a repast at Verona Park Boathouse from 4pm to 7pm.

Craig was preceded in death by his parents, Harley and Phyllis Mattheis.

Craig is survived by his girlfriend Ingrid Backer and his step-daughter Erika Donadio; brothers Colin Mattheis and his wife Sherri, Garret Mattheis, Christopher Mattheis; sisters Kelly Mattheis, Meegan Mattheis, Erin Mattheis Manne and her husband Joseph; nephews Tyler, Cass, and Liam, and nieces Charlotte, Chloe, and Laurel; many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins; and many dear friends and fishing buddies.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society (donate.cancer.org) or the Verona Park Conservancy (veronapark.org) would be greatly appreciated.

Condolences and memories may be shared on his Remember Page at proutfuneralhome.com.