North Falmouth—Matthew E. Friel, 28, of North Falmouth, died Thursday, October 7, 2004, in Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, after a two-year battle with cancer. Matt is the son of Janet M. Friel of North Falmouth, and the late George J. Friel. He also leaves 3 brothers, Greg Friel of New York City, Brian and Andrew Friel of Falmouth; 3 sisters, Carolyn Burnham of Holden, Sharon Shea of Falmouth, and Maureen Rojee of Auburn; and 10 nieces and nephews, whom he adored. Matt also leaves his maternal grandfather, Edward M. Shindle of Little Egg Harbor, NJ and his paternal Grandmother, Helen A. Friel of Worcester, as well as many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Matt is also survived by his loving girlfriend, Heather Parker of Abington.
Matt was born in Worcester and attended Thorndyke Road School and graduated from Burncoat Senior High in 1994, where he was a member of the soccer and track teams. Matt was employed for many years as the assistant manager of Pep Boys in Worcester before relocating to the Cape. In Falmouth, Matt was employed by Taylor Rental while taking classes to obtain his Journeyman’s license. Matt’s interests included auto and electronic repairs; he was an amateur inventor and has a patent pending. He was a member of the Cape Cod RC Aviation Club and he enjoyed designing and building radio controlled airplanes and boats. An avid fisherman and hunter, Matt was employed as a guide in Steamboat Springs, CO for two seasons.
Calling hours will be held from 5-8 p.m., Monday, October 11, in Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln St., Worcester. The funeral will be held from the funeral home with a Mass at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 12, at Our Lady of the Rosary, Fales St., Worcester. Burial will be in St. John’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, at laf.org.