Obituary of Matthew Joseph Riccardi

The family of Matthew Joseph Riccardi, with unmeasurable sadness, tell of his passing on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at the age of 19. Matt was a gift from God and his accomplishments and acts of kindness/compassion made the world a better place. His passing is a true tragedy of immeasurable proportions. Matthew was born in Morristown, NJ on April 25, 2000 to Joseph and Gretchen (Smith) Riccardi. He was raised in Mountain Lakes where he flourished alongside his twin brother, Michael, and older sister, Jessica. Matt spent the early years of his childhood actively involved in various sports and other community activities. These included MLBTB Soccer, Greyhawks Football and the Mountain Lakes Sailing Club. Even as a young child Matt was recognized for his sharp wit and intellect, spirit of community service and his love of helping others. In high school, Matt was recognized as a leader by his peers and served in student government throughout his four years. Ultimately, Matt was elected Student Body President. In this role, Matt coordinated major school events, presented student views/concerns at meetings of the Mountain Lakes Board of Education and generally served as a role model for other students. Matt was consistently viewed by his teachers as being among the most intelligent students ever to attend MLHS, and he flourished in the most challenging courses offered in the curriculum. As a result, Matt received numerous academic awards throughout high school. Notwithstanding this, Matt was always most proud of being an annual recipient of the award "Thanks for being you". This award is given to students who make the quality of life at MLHS better for other students with their acts of kindness. During this time Matt also served the community in the Mountain Lakes Junior Fire Department. Matt responded to almost every fire call including many in the middle of the night. Matt grew to be a leader of the Junior Fire Department and he loved developing new members of the department and leading drills. Finally, Matt became a licensed fire fighter and a Senior member of the department. Matt was a parishioner at St Catherine's Church in Mountain Lakes. Matt served in the Music Ministry and was a member of the church choir. He loved bringing joy to the faithful. Matt also served as a friend and advisor to several people with disabilities. As of this writing, examples of this behavior continue to come to light. Towards the end of his tenure in high school, Matt was accepted by the University of Chicago and was named a "Dean's Scholar". This award provided him with a scholarship along with a stipend for independent research. While at UChicago Matt challenged himself by taking the most rigorous curriculum offered and maintained a GPA of 3.9. In addition to continuing his academic successes at UChicago, Matt brought with him his sense of community spirit and service to others with him. Matt was an active member of the Catholic Community (Calvert House) and recently served as an Orientation Week counselor to assist new students adjusting to college life. Surviving are his loving parents, Joseph and Gretchen, devoted siblings, Michael and Jessica, grandfather Joseph and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Please join the family as they remember Matthew's life with a visitation at the Codey & Mackey Funeral Home, 107 Essex Avenue, Boonton, NJ 07005 on Friday, October 25th from 4-8 pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Catherine of Siena R.C. Church, 10 N. Pocono Road, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 on Saturday, October 26th at 9:00 am. The interment will be private. A Memorial Service at Mountain Lakes High School and the University of Chicago is being planned and will be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Mountain Lakes Volunteer Fire Department / Matthew Riccardi Scholarship Fund, 400 Boulevard, Mt. Lakes, NJ 07046.