Matthew Alan Gfeller
Matthew Alan Gfeller was a passionate young man from an early age. A natural leader who was comfortable on stage singing or giving a speech, rallying his friends for a great adventure, planning the next vacation with his brother and sister, or leading his team onto the field. His handwritten athletic goals were taped to his bedroom door and bathroom mirror, as daily reminders to motivate himself. Matthew was a kind brother and a loyal friend and as one peer put it, “Matt had no set criteria on who should be his friend.” As a result, Matthew loved and enjoyed people of all ages and from many different circles. A fisherman and lover of the outdoors, Matthew brought enthusiasm, humor and dedication to Boy Scout Troop 920. As he pursued his journey to Eagle Scout, Matthew loved working with other scouts, overnight hiking and camping, and cooking by the campfire. Matthew started Scouting as a Tiger Cub and achieved his Eagle Scout rank in May of 2008.
Matthew grew up a huge football fan. He and his brother Robbie began playing football with the Pop Warner League for the Southfork Panthers. In middle school Matthew set his goal to make the RJ Reynolds Varsity squad as a sophomore and to start at linebacker. He achieved this goal telling his fellow Reynolds players, “I won’t let
March 14, 1993 - August 24, 2008
Matthew Alan Gfeller Memorial Fund
The Matthew Alan Gfeller Memorial Fund of The Winston-Salem Foundation was established by the Gfeller family in 2008 in memory of their son Matthew, who was a sophomore at R.J. Reynolds High School. “In his 15 years here with us, Matthew lived a full and passionate life,” Matthew’s father, Bob Gfeller reflects. “He deeply loved his family and friends and will be forever remembered for his sensitive and kind heart, his wonderful sense of humor and his strong commitment to his goals. Because of the extraordinary support of the entire community, we have been able to give generously to a variety of worthy projects.”
The following individual grants have been made from the Matthew Alan Gfeller Memorial Fund to-date – grants that reflect Matthew Gfeller’s spirited interest in athletics, scouting, drama and leadership:
Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center - On May 6, 2010, the Gfeller family went to Chapel Hill for the dedication of the Stallings-Evans Sports Medicine Building. Inside that building is the Matthew Alan Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center, the first and best of its kind on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, right across from Kenan Football Stadium.
Centenary United Methodist Church - $4,400 to renovate the Scout Hut for Boy Scout Troop 920. Both Matthew and his older brother, Robbie earned their Eagle Scout rank with this troop. The Scout Hut is the Troop’s weekly meeting place and has been for decades. The renovation included the establishment of a merit badge workshop area, a fully furnished new library room to house books and videos, and an extensive makeover for camping gear storage.
Summit School – $1,000 for maintenance and equipment for the Matthew Alan Gfeller Weight Room in the new Athletic Center and $1,000 to support the Drama Department. Athletics and acting were two of Matthew’s passions while attending Summit School.
Carter Vocational High School – $500 to support the needs of Carter Vocational High School. Each year the 8th grade class at Summit School teams up with the Carter School in a wonderful performance of music and dance. Matthew truly enjoyed working with these students.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center – $6,000 to support the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma. The Institute funds research to investigate pediatric devices to be used in treating pediatric trauma victims and studies issues including researching the best way to detect, prevent and minimize the effects of a serious injury in a child once it has occurred.
The Matt Gfeller Outdoor Amphitheatre at R.J. Reynolds High School was dedicated on March 21, 2009. Developed in concert by the school and Lowe’s home improvement, this performance space was funded fully by Lowe’s home improvement employee donations in honor of Matthew. Bob Gfeller has worked for Lowe’s for the past eleven years. The 900 sq. ft. outdoor platform is adjacent to the arts magnet school and the outdoor eating areas of the school. Volunteers from Lowe’s home improvement, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, RT Dooley and Company, and A.E.R.T., Inc., the makers of Choice Dek decking as well as Gfeller family and friends designed and built the platform over the course of four months. Matthew was a natural performer, and this performance space will enable the high school to have an outdoor venue for a variety of artistic uses, including dance, drama and musical performances.
The Matthew Alan Gfeller Memorial Scholarship has also been established at The Winston-Salem Foundation. This scholarship will be awarded annually to one graduating R.J. Reynolds High School senior who is selected by a committee of educators and coaches. This $8,000 scholarship will provide one Reynolds student with an annual award of $2,000 for four years to attend an accredited post-secondary educational institution.
Click on the Play it Safe logo below for information about donating to the Matthew Gfeller Memorial Fund of the Winston-Salem Foundation.
you down.” RJR Coach Mike Propst, said that Matt would come to the Reynolds’ weight room to work out with his brother in seventh grade. “He has always been ‘The One That’s Coming,’ at Reynolds and he was,” Propst said. On August 22, 2008 Matthew suffered a severe helmet to helmet collision during his first varsity football game. Tragically, the accident caused a fatal traumatic brain injury. Matthew never regained consciousness and died two days later on Sunday, August 24, 2008.
Matthew was blessed to have entered and exited this world surrounded by those he loved and those who loved him. His spirit lives on in our hearts and he will be remembered for living his life with great courage and passion, unparalleled in his dedication to faith, family, friends, food and football. The Matthew Alan Gfeller Foundation hopes to positively impact the lives of other young people in Matthew’s memory.
