Matthew "Matty" Johnson
28 Feb 1983 - 25 Feb 2008
Beloved Friend and Fellow Gamer
Rest in Peace


Matty died unexpectedly in a car accident at the end of February. He had gone to visit his family in Ohio, and was driving back through the night. Early in the morning of Monday, February 25, his car went off a 25-foot embankment in the Smoky Mountains and landed upside-down in a river.

Matty was my friend. Every Sunday evening, and every other Saturday evening, the two of us (and a few other friends) got together to play games, eat, and have fun. He had been gone that weekend, and we missed him so much, we called him Saturday night and put him on speakerphone when we were all hanging out, just so we could share our time with him. We were expecting to see him on Monday at the latest, but we couldn't wait that long. We wanted to be with Matty then.

He had that effect on people. He was friendly, encouraging, funny, and always willing to poke fun at himself. He cared about others. His trip home was to visit his widowed mother after she came out of surgery.

During his night drive, he called several of his friends. One of them, Ben, didn't answer his phone and got a voicemail. He put it up online. Matty's final words? "So give me a call anytime tonight, and I'll pick up. And if I don't, I'll be dead. And you can praise God I'm in heaven."

Matty, I love you and I miss you, but I'm praising God.