Matthew J Cullen, Sr.

My very first year attending Camp Arrowhead... I'm a very unsure teen looking for a friendly face.... I found so many that first day back in July 1973.... one of first to greet me as I stepped off that old green school bus was Matt..... a sincere smile that immediately put me as ease... I will always remember his friendship, his joy at leading campfires on his banjo.... and the insane boat race during the Olympics that he put all of us teen campers through.... thoroughly enjoying the course he had laid out... challenging, intense, running around the island.... but with us all the way.... encouraging... helping all of us understand it is how you run the race that matters, not whether you come in first... Matt ALWAYS ran the race with a style and integrity that few I have known can match.... Charlie and the MTA have a new rider in heaven!

Matt was a wonderful person to work with, I have memories of assisting him with a few Administrative tasks throughout his years at First Data, some time ago he told me he would build me a large home on a remote island for assisting him (with small tasks). Each time after this, he would give me an update on the project and would detail the ups and downs of the project, he always made me smile before the phone call ended. I will always smile and remember him for his wonderful way of making someone smile through the good and difficult times. You will be missed Matt.

I met Matt when I was about 12 years old at my father’s summer camp where Matt worked as a counselor for many summers. He was a great counselor, caring, musically talented, fun, funny, talented story teller that kept us all in stitches. I can not imagine my Camp Arrowhead days without Matt being in it. Being 5 years older than me, I looked up to Matt. I was awed with his quick and witty mind, but he also inspired me to be who I am. Matt seemed to know who he was; he was an authentic person with no airs about him. I have many memories but will only share two. I remember… back in my young teen days, Kris Finnan and I ran the canteen. Matt asked us if we would put Milky Way bars in the refrigerated pop cooler for him. We did and we would often unlock the canteen in the evening hours after the campers were sleeping if someone like Matt asked. One night, we were in town and when we returned, we saw that the canteen door had been pulled off and just set against the doorway. We knew when the Milky Ways were gone, who it had been.  He helped fix the door the next day. Another memory seared into my mind has to do with Matt’s and my love for water skiing. One year after camp was over, he asked me to drive the ski boat, there was a dare that I could make him fall water skiing. This became a huge lesson in my life, because I proceeded to flip the boat by the island on Lake Shishebogama by turning the boat so sharply! This was quite a distance from anyone on the camp shore to even see. It was all very scary at the time. However, despite a crazy set of circumstances that created the unbelievable, we were all safe. My dad helped me see how fortunate I was that no one got hurt. Of course, Matt never let me live that one down. Just want to add, I am so proud of all of Matt’s accomplishments after we all left camp. His family must feel so proud to have had him in their lives. He was special, a one of a kind, an overall, great guy! I celebrate a well lived life shared by many who loved him! M. Noreen Doran

I cut Matts hair for many years. What a great guy always enjoyed his visit. WE laughed alot about Trump. He was always talking about his family and his cooking. His family was very lucky to have him. He will greatly missed by everybody who knew him. May he rest in Peace. Goodbye Matt.

We were lucky to have shared a very brief time with Matt and laughed about family histories, personalities, and the joys of being family. Our empahy to his family.