Obituary of Matthew Philip Giordanella

Matthew Philip Giordanella, age 102, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 5, 2026 in the comfort of his home surrounded by the love of his family. Born on November 20, 1923 in Bridgeport, he was a son of the late Anthony and Francesca Cavata Giordanella.

A true American hero who saved two men from drowning in Palermo, Sicily and survived a kamikaze plane strike on his cruiser ship in the Battle of Midway, both during WWII. A decorated U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, Matt faithfully and honorably served his country for 37 ½ years. He fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He was unwillingly sent home from Vietnam due to his age and being a father to his three daughters at the time.

In his childhood years, Matt was an accomplished artist and horseback rider. He also enjoyed competitive swimming and basketball but gave all that up to enter the Navy at 17 years old, ten months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

During his non-combat time in the Navy, Matt was an expert marksman and middleweight boxing champion of the cruiser division in the Pacific fleet. He later served as a recruiter.

In his early retirement, he worked for Remington Arms, the VFW and made the American Revolutionary warship, The HMS Rose, seaworthy again during his time at Captains Cove. He also took this time in his life to pass on his legacy to his grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He spent evenings and weekends teaching them about carpentry, woodworking, hunting, fishing and how to make "free money" with interest from the bank. His favorite saying was "if you're going to do something, do it once the right way".

In his later years, he enjoyed swimming, shooting squirrels and going to the gym daily into his mid-90's. He loved watching basketball and his favorite team the Yankees. One of his favorite memories was walking out to home plate at Yankee Stadium, shortly before his 99th birthday, to a roaring packed house to be honored as the Veteran of the Game. His love for the sea never diminished and he spent long mornings, afternoons and evenings staring at the horizon and enjoying the shimmer of the sun on what will be his final resting place.

Matt loved time with family and didn't miss one holiday party or family gathering even right up to this past Christmas. He looked forward to weekly visits from his daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren. His pride, sarcastic humor and caring gaze will be sorely missed.

Survivors include his three devoted daughters, Judi Morelli and her husband Joe, Janet Lis and Jill Comerford, five cherished grandchildren, Joseph L. Morelli III and his wife Megan, Matthew Morelli and his wife Jess, Juli Marcks, David Comerford and his wife Marcela and Jonathan Comerford and his wife Brittany, eight adored great grandchildren, Mia, Nick, Kylie, Patrick, Aubree, Isla, Jackson, and Alani, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, February 16, 2026 at 11:00 meeting directly in Our Lady of Peace Church, 651 Lordship Road, Stratford, CT. Interment will be private at the convenience of the family. Relatives and friends may greet the family Sunday, February 15, 2026 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Rd., Trumbull.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the VA Connecticut Healthcare System at va.gov. For online condolences, please visit us at www.abriola.com