Matthew's Story — Team Squeaky

Matthew laughing with his wife Jenn and son Miles in front of a dinosaur skull on one of their family adventures — Matthew, Jenn & Miles — adventuring, as always.

The short version

Loyal is the word.

If Matthew was your friend, you were his friend for life. Full stop.

He grew up in Stoneville, North Carolina, where everyone knew his smile before they knew his name. He graduated from McMichael High School in 1997, played on Rockingham Community College's very first soccer team, and earned his marketing degree from UNC Wilmington in 2003 — the town that became home. He spent most of his career at Meridian Cooperative (formerly ATS) as a Solutions Designer, where colleagues became, naturally, more friends for life.

His loyalty extended to the teams he never gave up on: the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the Atlanta Braves, and the San Francisco 49ers. And to golf — the game he loved most, and the game that kept him and his brother texting picks back and forth until the very end.

The cornerstone

Jenn, Miles & Nora Claire

Matthew was the steady center of his family — love, support, and a well-timed joke in every situation. He and Jenn built a life full of road trips across America and live music everywhere from Greenfield Lake to Red Rocks. Being Miles's dad was his proudest title. And he carried his daughter Nora Claire in his heart every day of his life — her name now lives on in the scholarship this team supports.

Timeline

The card he turned in

FEB 11, 1979
Born in Stoneville, North Carolina. Raised at Hodgin Memorial United Methodist Church, on ballfields, and among neighbors who became lifelong friends.
1997
Graduates from McMichael High School, then joins Rockingham Community College's inaugural soccer team.
2003
Graduates from UNC Wilmington with a degree in Marketing. Wilmington becomes home for good.
CAREER
Builds his career at Meridian Cooperative (formerly Applied Technology Solutions — ATS) as a Solutions Designer.
THE MASTERS
Spends years working the Masters in Augusta alongside his brother Earl — a springtime ritual, and some of the best weeks of their lives.
JULY 2023
Diagnosed with glioblastoma. He faces it with strength, resilience, and grace — still showing up for treatment on the same day he sends Miles back to school, still texting golf picks, still asking about everyone else first.
DEC 28, 2024
Takes his last breath surrounded by his family. He was 45. His memorial fills Port City Community Church, where he was a devoted member for years.
TODAY
Team Squeaky carries his name forward — on the course, in research labs, and in every act of kindness done in his memory.

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Did Matthew send you a birthday card?

He remembered everyone's. If you have a story, a photo, or a round you played with Squeaky, we'd love to hear it — and with your permission, share it here.

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