Matthew Coffee

Matthew E. Coffee, age 50 of Aberdeen, died Feb. 5 from sepsis complications of lymph edema at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. Born in Forest Hills, New York, NY. He also lived in Las Cruces, NM before moving to Aberdeen.

A 1987 graduate of Aberdeen High School, Matt was a trombonist in the school's competition marching band (1983-1987). He earned a B.S. from UMBC and afterward was sequencially employed in three hospitality venues in Edgewood before his death.

He was predeceased by his grandfather Leander S. Gilles of Fond du Lac, WI, and his uncle Hiroshi Araoka (a former American Field Service student in Fond du Lac, WI, where he met his wife) and aunt Janet Araoka of Japan; grandparents Robert E. and Margaret W. coffee of Brookston, IN, and by his uncles Robert D. Coffee of Las Vegas, NV, Paul Gard of Brookston, IN, and aunt Mary Draskovich of Los Angeles, CA.

He is survived by his parents Terence P. and Eileen A. Coffee of Aberdeen, and his grandmother Marie A. Gilles of Fond du Lac, WI; also subsequent spouse Yumiko (Hiroshi) Araoka of Tokyo, Japan and his cousins Masahiro (Stephen) and wife Kaori Araoka and children Hiroyuki, Mona, Ichigo (Frances) and her son Muotarou, and Tabatha of Chiba-ken, Japan, and Yukinori (Mark) and wife Megumi Kaburagi and children Daiki (Lee), Takato (Noah), and Mai (Anna Marie) of Chiba-ken, Japan.

Matt is also survived by his aunts Kathleen C. Coffee of West Lafayette, IN; Debbie Coffee, widow of Robert D. Coffee, and their daughter Kim Ray and husband Jeffrey Ray and their daughters Kayleigh and Emma all of Las Vegas, NV; Sharon E. Gard of Brookston, IN and her son Leo T. Gard and wife Jill of Los Angeles, CA; Karen Wagner and husband Michael of Whiting, IN and their children April L. Wagner and husband Rafi Mohammed of Whiting, IN; Jennifer Wagner and her husband Ricardo Lopez and children Ignacio and Camila of Louisville, KY, son Stephen D. Wagner and wife Milena of Hobart, IN, and uncle Richard E. Coffee and wife Melanie of Las Vegas, NV.

Mr. Coffee was cremated. No services are planned because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Condolences may be e-mailed to coffee316@comcast.net or mailed to 403 Devonshire Court, Aberdeen, MD 21001. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions or donations may be directed to www.anericanforests.org/treememorial, which replants trees in the United States destroyed by forest fires.