Matthew Alfred Manzella

SLINGERLANDS - Matthew A. Manzella was taken to heaven suddenly on May 1, 2018. He leaves behind his broken hearted parents, Maureen and Alfred Manzella, his siblings Kathleen, Michael and Christopher and their families: Yasuo, Kiyo and Emiko Saso, Anna Georgiopoulos, Elena and Sophia Manzella, Anne, Noah, Renee and Sam Manzella as well as his aunts, uncles and cousins.

Matt graduated from Bethlehem Central High School followed by an Associate’s degree from Hudson Valley Community College. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Siena College studying his two favorite interests: religion and theater. He spent some time living with his brother, Chris, in Tampa, Florida, and later returned to the area to work with disabled children.

Matt loved to travel, see new places and meet a variety of people, and shortly after graduating from HVCC, he went to Yemen, in peaceful times, to visit a classmate in his home country. In 2005, he journeyed to Vatican City to see Pope John Paul II laid to rest. Matt’s belief in God was unwavering, and much of his travel was related to his deep Catholic faith. He went to Mexico to meet the people of the parish of St. Anthony of Padua, a sister parish to St. Thomas the Apostle. Later, he made two pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Bosnia- Herzegovina, to see where the Blessed Virgin appeared and gave messages to the world. This past February, Matt traveled to Israel and had the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Matt attended daily mass and spent a large part of his time praying for others. He was a compassionate and generous soul who will be missed. His beloved cat, Vinnie, is joyful about reuniting with his favorite human, Matt.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Sunday, May 6 from 3 to 7 pm at Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar.  A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, May 7 at 10 am at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 35 Adams Pl., Delmar.  Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Glenmont.  In lieu of flowers, contributions in Matthew’s memory may be made to the St. Francis Chapel, 145 Wolf Road, Colonie, New York 12205 or The Immaculate Heart of Mary Food Pantry, 2416 7th Avenue, Watervliet, New York 12189.