Matthew Todd Vargas

Matthew Todd Vargas, age 43, of Largo, Florida, entered eternal glory with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Wednesday morning, January 23, 2013. Matt will be deeply missed by his life long love, best friend and wife of 15 years, Deanna Gene and their three children: Allie Lee (17), Victoria Catherine (14) and Matthew Gabriel (12). He is also survived by his parents, Luis and Juanita Vargas, his sisters, Esther (George) Davis, Lynette Vargas, and Anne Marie Vargas, his nephews and niece: Joshua, Jacob, Andrew, Lizzy, Jaylan, Elijah, and Issac, and numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins. Matt was born January 2, 1970 in New York, New York. When he was 10 years of age, his family moved to Grove City, Ohio, where he graduated from Grove City High School, class of 1988. During these years, he was active in many sports, including football, track, and basketball. He was loved by so many. Everyone considered him a best friend. He went on to receive his Bachelors of Science in civil engineering from The Ohio State University in 1994. While attending the University, he received many merit scholar awards for his academic achievements. After graduation, he worked engineering jobs in Pennsylvania and New York. In 1996 he secured a position in Florida as a project engineer. He received his engineering certification from the Florida Board of Professional Engineers in 2003. At the time of his passing, he was employed by URS Corporation. He worked on numerous road and bridge projects for local municipalities, including US 17 and I275. He was a positive force in the work environment. He excelled at his job and was well loved by his fellow employees. For Matt, his employment was secondary to his faith and family. He was tireless in serving his church body and in proclaiming the name of Jesus to all people, co-workers, friends, and strangers alike. He grew up in church, and remained committed to the church throughout his adult life. He and his family were members of First Christian Church of Seminole, Florida since 1999, where Matt served as a deacon and an elder. He actively helped with youth of all ages, coordinated communion meditations, and served elderly members of the church in their homes. He traveled on a missions trip to Mozambique, Africa, and was currently studying at Sola Scriptura Bible College in Largo, Florida in hopes of deepening his faith and possibly pursuing a career in ministry. Matt remained active in sports throughout his life. He played right field on the church softball team. He played basketball weekly with close friends, and loved to lift weights and exercise. He took great joy in coaching all three of his children in soccer, and had recently begun to golf with his son. The depth of love Matt and Dee expressed towards each other has blossomed since they were young teenagers. Two weeks before he died, Matt wrote on Facebook: "On March 29, 1997, I married my childhood sweetheart. I met Deanna in the Fall of 1984 and fell in love with her from that moment. In the Spring of 1985 her family moved from Ohio to Florida and I was heartbroken. Her and I never stopped loving each other and were finally married 12 years later after we were separated. We both went through a lot over that period of time and had major life events that changed us, but the love we had for each other never changed, but grew stronger. I will never forget the day we were united together in marriage. It was by far the most memorable day of my life. It was the day that I had finally realized that nothing could ever separate us again for the rest of our lives. I love Deanna and will always!" Memorial Services for Matt, A Celebration of his Life, will be held on Sunday, January 27, 2013 at First Christian Church of Seminole, 13272 Park Blvd., Seminole, FL 33776 at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation for the Vargas family can made out to The First Christian Church of Seminole. Please note Vargas Family in the memo. For additional information you may contact the church at 727-393-2136.