Michael J. Matosky

Michael J. Matosky, a local area businessman and entrepreneur, 35, of Wyoming, died unexpectedly Sunday morning, September 20, 2009, due to a heart attack while driving home from a very successful opening of his new restaurant, AuRants, in Duryea.
Mike was born December 22, 1973, in Wilkes-Barre, a son of Terri Parulis Matosky, Franklin Township, and the late Michael D. Matosky.
Mike served his country honorably as a U.S. Marine. He was an Eagle Scout and a member of the Masonic Lodge 395, in Kingston. He was a volunteer for the Wilkes-Barre Association for the Blind and was a Pittston YMCA board member.
In Mike’s short time with us, he touched the lives of many people through his kind heart, loyalty and friendship; thus, the void created by his passing will be impossible to replace.
Besides the opening of his new restaurant, AuRants, with his business partner, Dave Ciminelli, Mike was also co-owner of Color My World Inc., an international master distributor of heat transfer papers and other specialty media products, for the past five years with his close friend and business partner, Emil Calomino.
While developing the Color My World business with Emil, Mike also partnered with his fiancée, Allison Davis, and Emil to create Shirtificates and win the 2007 GVTA Business Plan Award, given annually for the best business plan that utilizes technology in developing a business model.
Mike was a graduate of Bishop O’Reilly High School and attended Penn State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science. He also attained a MBA from Tulane University. He started his career as a legislative aide to the speaker of the House of Representatives. He was an economic development specialist for Penn State University’s Penntap program.
Prior to starting Color My World, Mike was a consultant for the Penntap program, which through state grants allowed local area business to tap consulting talent in order to further their own business models. Mike garnered the experience for his Penntap work as a technical project manager for Silicon Valley Concern, Kana Communications, which did ERP systems implements for organizations such as eBay, UPromise, and others.
While Mike’s business accomplishments were many and impressive, more impressive was the close ties he had with his family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Michael and Lillian Matosky; and maternal grandparents Joseph and Rosemary Parulis.
Mike was very close to his entire family and is survived by, in addition to his mother, brother Sgt. Brian Matosky and his wife, Gennica, of Andrew Air Force Base in Maryland; nephew Rylan Tyler; and his closest friend and fiancée, Allison Davis, of Forty Fort. Mike also leaves behind another close friend, his loyal bulldog, Ike, along with numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Mike’s funeral will be held on Thursday at 9 a.m. from the Bednarski Funeral Home, 168 Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m. in St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston. Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Carverton. Friends may call Wednesday, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m., at the funeral home. Masonic services will be held at 7:30 p.m..
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Rylan Tyler Matosky Educational Fund, The Pittston YMCA, or to the American Heart Association.