Kolo Mato's Obituary
Kolo Mato, age 79, passed away January 15, 2015 at the Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at the Thomas Funeral Home in Centerville. Interment will follow at the Oakland Cemetery. Family will receive friends on Monday, from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Kolo Mato was born March 31st, 1935 in Pogradec, Albania to the parents, Olga & Spiro Mato. He had two sisters and a brother and was raised by an upstanding Albanian family. Later on in his journey, he found the love of his life Aferdita Mato. They went onto marry in November of 1969. They have been together for almost 45 years. They had two wonderful children. The eldest of the two is Anila Treska who was born in March 1971. The younger of the two was Edi Mato who was born in December 1978. He worked as a chemical engineer for most of his life and it so happened that he had the opportunity to travel to the other side of the world to open a new chapter in America. In 1997 they set out on their journey to America and settled in Centerville, Iowa, where their son Edi had already been on an exchange program. He and his wife lived there for over 18 years and Kolo himself said, "They were some of the most peaceful years of his life." Here they didn't have much of a family so the Centerville community adopted the Mato's as one of their own and for the Mato's, the people of Centerville will forever have the utmost respect and gratitude. Kolo's favorite pastimes were singing and whistling as well as playing the piano. Often times you could catch him singing in the church choir every Sunday. He would sit down at the piano and entertain himself for hours just by playing and singing along. He was also very fascinated by new technology. He liked playing around with I-pads and gadgets and was very fond of current culture. The memory of Kolo Mato will be survived by his wife Aferdita, His two wonderful children; Anila and Edi. Along with his two sisters; Roza & Leni and brother Gjergji, as well as his only grandkid, Bruce. He had a vast reserve of friends and family back home in Albania who will miss him dearly and on the other hand there are many people in the states that will continue to keep his memory alive as well. Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. - Mother Teresa To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Kolo Mato please visit our Sympathy Store. Cemetery Details Oakland Cemetery E. State St. & N. 21st St.
Centerville, IA 52544 Visitation JAN 19. 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (CST) Thomas Funeral Home - Centerville 501 North 18th StreetCenterville, IA 52544[emailprotected] Funeral Service JAN 20. 10:30 AM (CST) Thomas Funeral Home - Centerville 501 North 18th StreetCenterville, IA 52544[emailprotected]
What’s your fondest memory of Kolo?
What’s a lesson you learned from Kolo?
Share a story where Kolo's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Kolo you’ll never forget.
How did Kolo make you smile?