Matthew John Messina

Matthew John Messina passed away, at 34 years old, on October 1 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Matt was born on September 5, 1990 in Danbury, Connecticut, to John James Messina and Felicia Marie Messina. He has a brother, Michael Messina, and sister-in-law, Kimberly Messina. The family moved to North Carolina in 1995. 

Matt spent the last 16 years of his life on the UNC Charlotte campus, earning a bachelor’s degree in Software and Information Systems in 2012. The University was a special place for him, including where he went to college, built a career, and met his wife, Emily. Matt spent the majority of his time on campus with the Charlotte 49ers Athletic Department, where he started as a manager for the men’s basketball team in 2008. He served in many roles within the Athletic Department, including the Director of Information Technology and, most recently, the Associate Athletic Director for Broadcast Video and Technology. In his first years with the 49ers, he helped develop and maintain the coaches' communications system for Charlotte's upstart football program. He would also develop the replay systems in place at Jerry Richardson Stadium and Halton Arena. Matt touched nearly every office and sports team with his ability to troubleshoot software and hardware issues while developing the intricate technical systems utilized throughout the department.

In true fashion, Matt met his soulmate, Emily, in 2018, when they both worked on campus. Their wedding was held on campus in 2022, and they recently celebrated 2 years of marriage together. They welcomed their daughter, Madison, in April 2024. They shared a love for the ocean and decorated the nursery accordingly with an underwater theme. Recently, Matt, with Emily’s support, took an interest in stingrays, spending time at the aquarium and collecting stingray memorabilia. His love for his girls was unmatched and he worked hard to renovate their home to make it a place they loved to come to home to every day, despite only him knowing how any of the technology is set up. 

Matt was incredibly loyal and would drop everything to help a friend or family member in need. He always used his technical prowess to solve numerous personal computer issues, install technology, perform troubleshoots, and doing anything asked with an ever-present smile and no expectation of anything in return. Outside of his skills, Matt was generous and caring, even volunteering to save injured waterfowl in his free time.

Matt had a way about him that enabled him to build strong relationships with everyone he encountered. His friends and family are unmatched, and would do anything for him. He is loved by so many, and while we celebrate his life and all he has done for us, we also should celebrate him finally being able to find peace. 

He is survived by his wife, Emily and their daughter, Madison; his parents, Felicia and John; his brother, Michael, and wife Kimberly; and his grandparents Carmen and Linda Cassetta; and grandfather, Peter Messina. He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Carolyn Messina.

The family will receive friends from 2:00pm-3:45pm on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord (460 Branchview Drive, Concord, NC 28025). A memorial service to honor Matt’s life will follow at 4:00pm in the funeral home chapel.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the following GoFundMe link  https://gofund.me/7b6efbf6 which will help Emily prepare for Madison’s future. 

Hartsell Funeral Home of Harrisburg is serving the Messina family.