Addie was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 14, 1924. She was married to Theodore John Stein (Ted) and had four daughters Stella Marie, Catherine Marie, Margaret Anne, and Elizabeth Marie. Addie appeared in numerous commercials, industry videos, TV shows, and game shows. Addie commonly portrayed the stereotypical Italian grandma.
Early in Addie's career she was told her family name Stein sounded too Jewish. She suggested her maiden name of Romano, which she was then told was too Italian. She ended up settling on Matthews as it was ethnically neutral.