Mathieu Tielemans, of North Wales, returned to Our Lord on January 26, 2015. He was 87.
Born in Antwerp, Belgium to the late Albert and Rosa Tielemans. “Matt” lived through the WWII occupation and bombing of Antwerp, and lost his older brother, a member of the Belgian underground, in the conflict. This time in his life had a lasting affect on his practical, frugal lifestyle, and tireless work ethic.
He married Paula Berghmans in 1952. The young couple ran a record store before Mathieu made the decision to follow his sister Julienne to America.
Mathieu arrived stateside in 1959 and settled in Philadelphia; Paula arrived in 1960. He moved his family to North Wales in 1966.
A self-employed Dental Technician, Mathieu was the exclusive US importer and distributor for CEKA Dental Attachments. Known as “Mr. CEKA,” he travelled the world lecturing and marketing these products. He lived and worked out of his home on Hunter Lane for 48 years.
Mathieu was a firm, but caring employer, unafraid to hire someone with a troubled past. He also lectured about his profession at local prisons.
Mathieu was an avid auction goer, assembling admired collections of stamps, Flemish paintings, Classic firearms and beer steins. He loved all music, and always upgraded to the newest audio technology. Photography and film were also great passions, and the resulting collection of still photos, home movies, and videos, are a direct result of his relentless documentation of his family’s journey through life. He loved yard work and animals, maintaining a meticulous garden and opening his home to many pets and injured wildlife.
He was a devoted parishioner of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church where he was appointed an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. In retirement, caring for St. Stanislaus’ homebound parishioners became his primary calling. He made frequent visits to their homes and organized the Sunday communion distribution. He was a member of the original class of Permanent Deacons for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and was ordained in May 1987.
Mathieu was preceded in death by his brother Francois Tielemans and sister Julienne Leonardo.
Mathieu is survived by his wife Paula, his children Albert Tielemans, husband of Amy; Christina Willett, wife of George; Eric Tielemans, husband of Dana. He was blessed with 7 grandchildren Rebecca, Aaron, Morgan, Alexander, Eric Jr., Lacey, and Nathan.
There will be a viewing on Tuesday, Evening February 3 from 7-9pm, at St. Stanislaus Church, 51 Lansdale Ave., Lansdale, PA. 19446 and again Wednesday, Morning, February 4 from 9-10:30am also at Church followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. Interment St. Stanislaus Cemetery
In lieu of flowers the family asks that you very simply DO something for someone else that isn’t expecting it. Mathieu was at his best and happiest when he was DOING something, and it was often to help out someone in need of a helping hand.