Matthew B. Grippi
March 5, 1943 ~ April 9, 2024
Born in:
Brooklyn, New York
Resided in:
Arden, North Carolina
Matthew B. Grippi, 81, of Arden, died Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at Mission Hospital. He was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. Matt was preceded in death by his mother and father, Isidoro and Concetta Grippi and a nephew, Tony Wicker.
Matt is survived by three sisters, Rosalie Grippi of New Port Richey, Florida, Josephine Grippi Wicker of Arden, NC and Janice Grippi Juhlin also of Arden, NC; a niece, Denise Wicker Owen and her husband, John of Sumter, SC; a great niece, Dan, of Sumter; a great nephew, Derek Owen and his wife, Allison and their son, Ren Owen of Lexington, SC. He also leaves behind some of his best friends, Leslie Young of Bergenfield, NJ, Bob and Raye Ellen Cooke of Massachusetts and a friend, Brother John Huebner of Fairview, NC as well as his friends from Corpus Christi class of 1956.
Matt loved animals and he had a few cats during his lifetime. He leaves his current cats in the custody of his sister, Janice. He also loved Janice’s dog Spirit and insisted on spoiling her as much as he could.
During his early years, he loved to read and to tease his sisters! After high school he studied at the University of Dayton, Ohio. After that, he enlisted in the Army and served for five years. He came home and studied at William Patterson Collage in Patterson, NJ after which he became a teacher and a soccer coach at Dwight-Morrow High School in Englewood, NJ. He made many life-long friends throughout the thirty years he taught there.
After retirement, Matt enjoyed working for Barns and Noble where he surrounded himself with the things he loved: BOOKS! He was well versed in many subjects — US government, politics, languages, travel, art, history and nature. Matt graced people of all ages with a beautiful tenor voice and often sang in choirs and community choral groups in NJ and later in NC. He sang a solo at his high school graduation: Panis Angelicus (in Latin). Matt enjoyed donating to several non-profits throughout the years.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 PM on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher, NC.
Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting his family.
Services
Celebration of Life: June 1, 2024 2:00 pm
Calvary Episcopal Church
Hendersonville Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
Funeral Home Assisting The Family:
Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian
72 Long Shoals Road
Arden, NC 28704
(828)687-3530
http://www.grocefuneralhome.com
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Loving thoughts of my brother Matthew. He is the first of four to pass away, and we all will miss him dearly. May he be resting in peace.
I loved my Uncle Matt so much! When my brother Tony and I were young, Uncle Matt taught us many different kinds if things on a variety of subjects, including history, foreign languages and music. He was a master of learning and always won at Risk, Monopoly and Trivial Persuit! He was the smartest man I’ve ever personally known. His knowledge of the world always fascinated me. He used to take my brother and me to Carvel’s Ice Cream EVERY time we visited him and our grandparents in New Jersey. He also used to take my brother to pro baseball games. He was a huge fan of professional baseball and soccer! When I had kids, every birthday, he would send them BOOKS, which they loved reading! We all will miss him dearly. It’s so hard to realize he’s really gone from our earthly presence, but I know he’s looking down from Heaven with a gleam in his eye, knowing he made such a positive impact on Me, his family, friends, students, and the world! LOVE, De-Niece (Denise). And Uncle Matt, now you know where De-Nephew is!♡
When we were kids, Matthew had a paper route. One day we were playing together in a newly built house on our street where we lived, and he went to the attic, I told him not to but he did anyway. While he was up there walking on the rafters his foot slipped and down he went. Guess who got to finish delivering his news papers? And it was winter, Love you Matt, RIP Your loving sister, Josephine.
Such a great memory about the paper route! If I had known he was never going to leave the hospital, I would have tried calling him again! I called him on his birthday and left him a voice mail. I hope he liked the birthday card I sent him in March. He was truly my favorite Uncle, all the years I’ve been alive. Miss and Love You, Uncle Matt! <3 Rest in Heavenly Peace!
He kept your message on his phone, Denise. He cared a great deal for you and Tony, they are together now, playing soccer in heaven.
I taught with Matt for many years. I always knew him to be a very nice person.He loved working with the students
Love, Denise