To all of you, I am something; a friend, a former colleague, maybe a
neighbor or an acquaintance. But the most important role that I have
ever been fortunate enough to play has been that of a Father and today,
I’m going to talk to all of you about one of my children who has made me
exceptionally proud to call myself his father: Matthew J. Fisher.
---
For any of you who knew Matthew, you could feel his presence just by
hearing his laughter. You could hear it from a mile away. It was just
like him: honest, warm, hearty and jovial. It warmed your soul. Matt
was both intentionally and unintentionally funny in his sense of humor
and almost always had a smile on his face. Matt found so many things to
laugh about and thought that every moment of every day was a gift and
tried to make everyone else feel that same positivity.
Matt
never met someone he didn’t like; he was a friend to all and thought
everyone was his friend. And if they weren’t at first, Matt would win
them over with his kindness and thoughtfulness. He always paid
attention to the little things and would go out of his way to make you
that extra cookie that you liked at a work function and drop it off at
your desk, or search for hours to find the perfect gift for you at
Christmas or on your birthday. He loved to make people smile and feel
special because to him, seeing the happiness that the people who loved
him made him feel reflected onto others was the real gift he wanted them
to receive.
Matt’s love for travel and adventure was palpable.
He often talked about the many places he had been and adventures he had
embarked on and was always looking for what he was going to check off
next on his travel bucket list. Matt absolutely loved dominos, pool, and
most recently discovered his love for the game of golf; but what was so
endearing about my son was his eagerness to know everything there is to
know about the things – and the people – he was passionate about. He
didn’t just want to play, he wanted to know the history of the game, he
researched equipment, and he wanted to learn the physics of how to
really be good at whatever game he was playing. Just like when he got
to know and love people, he wanted to really know who they were, and not
just superficially. He wanted to know about their families, what they
loved, what their hopes and dreams were, and he listened. And most of
all, he really cared. This was Matt’s overall outlook on life: treat
everything and everyone with the love and care that you would want to be
treated with. Matt did this unwaveringly with everyone he ever came
into contact with.
Matt also loved God and his church very much.
One thing that has been unchanging in Matt’s life was his involvement
in his church in Monessen, PA – Orchard Christian Fellowship – and his
love for his fellow parishioners and all of the community involvement,
trips, and happy times that he’s had with everyone there. Even through
his move to New Cumberland, he has remained close to the church and his
faith and it has remained his second home and held a huge and very
significant place in his heart and in his life.
For those of
you who did know Matt, you know that his biggest passion in this world
was for fishing. That was something that Matt and I have shared his
whole life. I have not only had the honor of being Matt’s father, but
also his life-long fishing buddy. Whether it’s fresh-water or
salt-water, Matt was the fisherman to beat all fisherman. His favorite
place in this world to be was on a boat, out on the ocean, casting a
line and reeling in a big catch. I was lucky enough to spend countless
hours doing that right by his side.
But even more than his love
for any of these things that I’ve mentioned here was Matt’s love for his
family. Matt didn’t just have me, but he has brothers and sisters
whose love for him can’t even be defined by words, that’s how great it
is. Matt and his oldest brother Mike were lucky enough to live close to
each other for many years. Mike is the assistant pastor of Matt’s
church in Monessen and that was just such a wonderful way to be able to
bring two of the most loved things in your life together: your family
and your faith. Matt also spent countless hours with Mike’s family
helping Mike to build his house and many wonderful memories in the
process.
John, Matt’s next oldest brother, lives down in Panama
City, Florida, so of course they spent many hours fishing and creating
memories on his boat. Teresa, Matt’s oldest sister, has fond memories
of spending time with Matt at some of Matt’s favorite kind of events:
our family reunions and at family birthday gatherings, and boy were
those some events for the books. Lisa, his next youngest sister, has
fond memories of fishing with Matt in the Florida Keys, sometimes with
Dick Phillips – one of my best friends and godfather to some of my
children.
His youngest brother, Chris, looked so much like him
he could have passed for his twin growing up. You couldn’t tell them
apart. Matt created wonderful memories with Chris and his family on
vacations together as adults. His next youngest sister, Barbara (he and
all of us call her Button), has many fond memories of Matt coming down
to Lake Anna to visit her and taking Matt out to the Islands. Matt just
loved it there and he really kicked back and enjoyed all of the folks at
LKA and always had such a blast. His youngest sister, Anna, got to
spend a lot of time with him when she grew up in Pittsburgh and went to
Pitt. She loved spending holidays with him at Button’s down at the lake
and loved joking around with him more than anything. Her goal was
always to get him to laugh; his laugh was her absolute favorite.
---
Today, I’m telling you all about Matthew because this past Saturday,
December 16th, 2017, my handsome, jovial, warm-hearted, loving,
wonderful son passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Matthew John
Fisher was fifty-three years old. He was a graduate of Robert Morris
University and had been an employee of the Pennsylvania State Liquor
Control Board for over fifteen years. He loved the Pittsburgh Steelers
and, like everything else in his life, he wasn’t just a Fan, he was a
FANATIC. He loved ZZ Top but also classical music. He just LOVED. And
boy, was he ever loved. Matthew had nieces and nephews who he loved
very much. He had brothers and sisters who he loved very much who loved
him back. He has a father who loves him more than words can express.
He has left an imprint on this world and on all of our hearts and lives
that will never be filled and I just know that he is smiling and
surrounded by God and the Angels up in Heaven.
I hope that you
had the pleasure of knowing my wonderful son, and if you didn’t, that
you had a glimpse of just how terrific he was through my words here
today.
Our family appreciates your prayers and support during this difficult time.
Matthew’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 10th in Monessen, PA, at Orchard Christian Fellowship at 1:00 pm
