It is with great sorrow that the Mattson family announces the unexpected passing of Todd Douglas Mattson on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026.
Todd Douglas Mattson was born on Sept. 29, 1951 in Dix Hills, New York to Godfrey and Carol (née Mihr) Mattson. He was preceded in death by his siblings Roger Mattson and Karen (née Mattson) Lally, as well as the love of his life, Carmen (née Curiel). Todd is survived and will be deeply missed by his two children Alex (Agnes) and Anna, as well as his two grandsons Ethan and Benjamin.
Todd was a lifelong learner so it may surprise those who knew him to discover that he wasn’t always the greatest student. After flunking out his first year of college, he knew he had to make a change and decided to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard. It was while out to sea that he discovered he was not a fan of being on boats. Had he not joined the Coast Guard; however, he never would have met the woman who would one day become his beloved wife, Carmen. Todd ultimately went on to earn both multiple Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Over the course of their almost 40-year marriage, Todd and Carmen lived in Boston, Lancaster (Pennsylvania), Lindenhurst, Bensenville and ultimately Villa Park, which was where Todd spent the last 39 years of his life. Todd, Carmen, and Alex originally moved to Illinois because of Todd’s work in glass science but he realized, through Carmen’s encouragement, that education was where he was meant to be. His first teaching position was that of a high school teacher but he realized quickly that college level math was more his speed. As a professor first at the Illinois Institute of Art and then at DeVry, he was given the opportunity to help students of all abilities to foster a love of math.
Outside of teaching, Todd loved spending time with family and watching his grandsons grow. “Pop Pop,” as he was affectionately known, had standing Friday family dinner plans, which allowed him to be even more present in Ethan and Benny’s lives. Todd had such a unique, sarcastic sense of humor that was well known around the neighborhood but bad jokes that would make you groan were his specialty. He loved to watch Jeopardy, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Simpsons (he was the only person that Anna and Alex knew who still recorded current episodes to watch at a later date), as well as classic shows like Gunsmoke, Colombo, and The Paper Chase. He took joy in the simple things like hazelnut lattes (his favorite came from the café inside the now defunct Borders Bookstore), attending continuing education classes at College of DuPage, and riding his bike around the neighborhood every single day without fail.
Todd will be deeply missed but never forgotten by those who were blessed to have known him. Services were held on Sept. 19, 2026.
