Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Charles Mathews succumbed to injuries sustained two days earlier while directing traffic at the intersection of Palmer Avenue and Pond Street at approximately 9:00 pm. Patrolman Mathews had served with the Natick Police Department for 10 years. He was survived by his wife, four daughters, and one son. Patrolman Mathews' grandson, Patrolman Wallace Mathews, was killed in the line of duty on April 23rd, 1953 while serving with the Massachusetts State Police.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, four daughters, and one son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MA-CF97D579- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Mathews gave the Natick Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Natick community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Mathews.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Charles W. Mathews is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In MA, 158 of 469 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles W. Mathews's cause is highlighted.
How Charles W. Mathews Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Charles W. Mathews is highlighted in Jul.