Matthew Deery, an All-Atlantic Sun honoree for track and field who died Aug. 1, in a car wreck near his hometown, was remembered as “an incredible guy” by his friends and coaches at Lipscomb.
“He’s the kind of guy that, if everybody was a little more like him, the world would be a better place,” said Houston Ward, Deery’s friend and a fellow rising sophomore, who participates in discus, shotput and hammer-throw on the track team.
“Matt was a really great guy,” Ward said. “He was the kind of guy that would give you a ride to the airport, and you’d offer him cash and he’d turn it down. He always had a huge smile on his face. He was a goof ball, but he worked incredibly hard. He just had so many great qualities about him. It’s such a shame to see him go at such a young age.”
Deery, a Phillipsburg, N.J. native, was killed Wednesday, Aug. 1, in Upper Nazareth Township, Penn., when his Jeep swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid a turning vehicle, colliding head-on with a tractor-trailer cab.
Upper Nazareth Township Police Chief Alan Siegfried told Lumination the accident occurred when a Nissan Altima in front of Deery’s Jeep stopped to wait for an oncoming semitrailer to pass before making a left turn. Siegfried said it seemed apparent that Deery didn’t see the semitrailer and swerved to avoid the car in front of him, hitting the eastbound truck.
Track and field Head Coach Bill Taylor said, according to Deery’s parents, the young athlete was on his way to practice pole vaulting, in preparation for the upcoming season.
Hurdles Coach Marcus Evans said he learned of Deery’s death via email late in the night, following the afternoon of the accident. He said he had to read it repeatedly before the gravity of the news truly sank in.
“I couldn’t really go back to sleep,” he said. “After that, I talked to some of the athletes on the phone. We cried on the phone together.”
Evans called Deery “just a great kid…One of the leaders on the team, especially for the young guys. It’s kind of crazy the impact he had on the team, not just athletically. He was a great example. I can’t say enough about his character.”
Lacey Printz, a distance runner and a junior studying organizational communication and public relations, said Deery’s absence will be felt among his track comrades.
“Matt was a wonderful person, teammate and a part of our track family,” she said. “He was extremely talented and a lot of fun to be around. We’re going to miss him so much.”
In an email to the student body, Lipscomb President Randy Lowry said the university is planning both a memorial service and a lasting tribute to the fallen athlete.
“To provide an opportunity for the Lipscomb community to honor Matt and his family, we anticipate that there will be a memorial service on campus soon after school begins,” Lowry’s email read, adding “we also anticipate planting a tree on campus and establishing an endowed scholarship in Matt’s memory. Details about these efforts will be shared with the Lipscomb community as they are finalized.”
A group of track and field team members left early Friday morning for a mission trip to Haiti. Coach Taylor said the news is hard for the athletes to accept but added that being together will help those on the trip cope with the loss.
“In their case, there’s some good because they’re together, unlike most of our team which is spread all across the country,” he said. “And they’re able to go out and serve others and share love with others. I think it’s a great therapy.”
Taylor Mason, a junior exercise science major and a pole vaulter, said she received news via phone from one of the coaches around 1 a.m. Thursday.
“It’s obviously been really hard on everybody,” she said. “He was an incredible friend, an incredible athlete, an incredible guy. He was basically like family. A lot of us were with him most of the day every day.”
Mason said Deery was well known for his humility and his warmth.
“He genuinely cared about a person’s personal life,” she said. “Everybody is going to miss him so much. There’s definitely a huge hole in our team now.”
Julia Shrewsbury, a hurdler and a senior in organizational communication and public relations, said the team is “devastated.”
“He was part of our family, and to many, he was a best friend or considered to be a brother,” she said. “It definitely hit us really hard and made us think. It’s hard, but we realize he’s in a better place. We all adored him. He will be missed.”
Funeral services for Deery will be 2 p.m. Sunday at the Doyle-Devlin Funeral Home, 695 Corliss Ave., Phillipsburg, N.J. Visitation will be from 3-8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Interment will be in Greenwich Cemetery in Greenwich Township.
In lieu of flowers, Deery’s family is requesting that donations be made to Phillipsburg High School (Phillipsburg High School, c/o Guidance Office, 200 Hillcrest Blvd., Phillipsburg, N.J. 08865) to set up a scholarship fund in Deery’s honor.
Those wishing to leave comments for Deery’s friends and family may visit the Lipscomb track and field Facebook page.
For more information, see Lipscomb athletics coverage or news from the Lehigh Valley Express Times, Deery’s local newspaper.
Photo courtesy of www.lehighvalleylive.com.