Matthew J. Mclennan

Matthew J. McLennan of Trumansburg passed away unexpectedly on October 26, 2013 at the age of 42.

Matt was born in Corning on December 31, 1970, a son to Charles McLennan and Andrea Marshall. After graduating from Corning West High School in 1990, where he was an exceptional wrestler, Matt attended SUNY Brockport. While attending college he continued his wrestling career and was an All-American and NCAA Wrestling Champion. Matt obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from SUNY Cortland, and later completed his Master’s degree in Special Education at Mansfield University. He worked for several summers at Cortland ARC before accepting a position at Trumansburg Central Schools.

More than anything, Matt loved being a father to his children, Ellie, Ryder and Brody, and husband to his wife Angela. He loved his family unconditionally, and enjoyed including his kids in his 'projects'. They would often be at his side landscaping, playing by the creek, swimming, catching toads, crayfish and frogs, and identifying birds at the birdfeeder from the family Bird Book. He supported his wife and kids at all of their sporting events, helped with school work, and even played the part of student to let his oldest, Ellie, turn the tables to teach him. For extended family, Matt never missed a graduation, wedding, or bar mitzvah, and invited everyone to gather at his home every Fourth of July to see the bonfire that became larger and higher every year. At Ellis family gatherings he would always pull out his “Number 1 Son-in-Law” t-shirt to wear.

During Matt’s 16-year teaching career in Trumansburg, he impacted the lives of students, athletes, faculty and the community. He was an exceptional advocate for his students and incredibly proud to be an integral part to the development of the Trumansburg Learning Center. Matt also loved teaching the TST Boces driver’s education class during the past 10 summers.

His athletic prowess led him to be the Trumansburg Varsity wrestling coach for 10 years; he also coached girls' modified volleyball and softball with great success. Matt was 'the Number One supporter and fan' of the Varsity Volleyball Team. Matt will always be remembered by certain faculty as an original founder of “Men’s Club.”

Matt always had 'projects', usually 3 or 4 at a time, all of which he loved to show to friends and family. An avid landscaper, he transformed his 11-acre property into a well-manicured estate, including a green for practicing his golf game, walking trails, and a pond; all accomplished with his beloved tractor. Matt kept a running tally of all of the groundhogs he removed from his property, releasing them back into the wild. To house his array of tools, Matt built a workshop where he spent many hours building and refinishing a variety of items. He enjoyed listening to Metallica, always blasting their music.

Matt was genuinely comfortable with who he was. His personality shined bright and he had the ability to make everyone around him feel special. Whether talking to family, friends, students, or strangers, Matt truly cared about people. He was known for his protective nature of his family and friends. He kept his sense of humor in every situation and was a lifelong prankster.

Matt’s love of his family, friends, students, and the Trumansburg community will be greatly missed.

Matt is survived by his wife Angela McLennan; three children, Ellie, Ryder, and Brody McLennan; parents, Charles (Ruthie) McLennan and Andrea (Mark) Schmookler; sisters, Lisa (Jeff) Regner and Lynsay (David) Brown; grandparents, William Marshall and Richardean Wenderlich; mother- and father-in- law, Linda and Edric Ellis; sisters-in-law, Dawn (Mark) Ferzacca, Julie (Josh) Grove, and Tina Ellis; aunts and uncles, Lisa and Andy Stegeland; Harvey and Claudia Covell, and Nancy and Steve Atkinson; nieces and nephews, Jillian and Keenan Regner and Gavin and Logan Brown, and several additional nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles. Matt was preceded in death by his grandparents, Jane Marshall, Lawrence and Eleanor Schmookler, and James, Beula, and Beatrice McLennan.

The family will be present to receive friends from 3:00 to 7:00pm on Friday, November 1, 2013 at the Ness-Sibley Funeral Home, 23 South Street, Trumansburg. A Celebration of Matt’s Life will be held at 1:00pm on Saturday, November 2, 2013 in the auditorium at the Trumansburg High School.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks those who wish to make a contribution in Matt’s memory to kindly consider the McLennan Family Education Fund, c/o Tompkins Trust Company, PO Box 702, Trumansburg, NY 14886 or the Madison-Cortland ARC, Attn: Christine Sears, 701 Lenox Ave., Oneida, NY 13421.