Matthew Cole Albee, 20, of Roberts, Wisconsin, passed away unexpectedly on November 4, 2024. Matthew was born in California to parents Kelly and Brian and three enthusiastic older sisters. He immediately showed his fighting spirit as he battled impossible odds. Matt spent nearly three months in the neonatal intensive care unit, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, endured multiple surgeries, and flatlined twice, yet he refused to give up. He continued to amaze the doctors who repeatedly advised Matt’s parents, “his condition was incompatible with life.” Matthew proved the doctors wrong. Despite the circumstances of his birth, he thrived. He grew into an incredible young man with dreams of being a famous author. Matt had a passion for video games, technology, and the spiciest Indian food money can buy. He brought laughter, love, and joy to his family.

His family was his greatest love. He especially enjoyed sharing his beautiful writings and introducing them to his favorite video games. Fun fact: in video games, when a person dies, they can watch the rest of the game unfold. This is called being in “spectator mode.” His family is comforted by the fact that Matthew has entered spectator mode. He is watching his family as they finish life, and one day, they will be reunited.

He attended the University of Minnesota as a Data Science major, and at the time of his passing, he was a Junior.

Matthew is preceded in death by his grandmothers Mary Elizabeth Albee and Barbara Lee Tiernan. He is survived by his parents, Kelly and Brian; his grandmother Juanita; his three sisters, Katherine, Elizabeth, and Rachel; and his ever-loyal dog, Leo.

Services will be held at O’Connell Family Funeral Homes in Hudson, WI. Visitation begins at 12pm on Tuesday, November 12, and the service starts at 1pm. Instead of flowers, the family requests all who are interested to donate to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The service will be livestreamed here.