“It is heartbreaking to lose Matthew, his bright future unfulfilled,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “We mourn with his family and all of his friends, classmates, and faculty at Fordham. There are no consolations for such a loss, except those provided by faith and by the rich memories of all that Matthew did and accomplished, the deep friendships he had, and the dreams and hopes he had for the future—his own, his friends’ and the world’s.”
At Fordham, Matthew was an accounting information systems major with a 3.85 GPA. He received a Loyola Scholarship from the University, was a member of the national honors society Beta Alpha Psi, and a member of the Dean’s List all four years.
“Matthew will forever be in our hearts,” said Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School. “His love of learning and passion for excellence will continue to inspire each one of us and most especially his classmates.”
He participated in the Gabelli School of Business Consulting Cup Challenge in 2018, where as a member of a six-person team, he performed a study of the Fortune 500 company Kraft Heinz. He was also a member of the Indonesian Students NYC chapter.
Matthew’s was the youngest of three siblings. His sister, Marcella Agung, said he was a treasured member of their family.
“Our extended family is big and is spread all over the world, but we are very close to one another. Ever since Matthew was diagnosed with his cancer, all our uncles and aunts have been praying the rosary every night alongside our family via Zoom, even until now,” said Marcella in an emailed statement. “We love Matthew dearly as he gave us his support in times of trouble, laughter in times of uncertainty, and sharing in times of happiness.”
Matthew loved sports, and from a young age was able to pick up any sport he tried, his sister said. From basketball to tennis, golf to table tennis, he enjoyed playing sports with his friends. He also enjoyed training and taking care of animals. His family had three dogs, while he also cared for fish, lizards, birds, rabbits, and turtles.
“He spent most of his time with our poodle named Baby,” Marcella wrote. “Matt would bring along Baby to his online classes and to his workouts.”
Matthew was described as a conscientious young man who was devoted to his family and his faith, who also volunteered his time to raise funds and help plan the construction of a school library in Semarang, Indonesia. During his summers at home, he also completed two internships as an accounting and IT intern.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York in March 2020, Matthew quarantined for three weeks before heading home to Indonesia to take his classes virtually. Once home, he helped his family take care of his grandparents and worked with his family’s business, taking care of their bookkeeping and financial statements, “practicing what he had been learning in Fordham,” his sister said.
He was a dedicated student, even studying while out with friends. Marcella said that after he died one of his friends told her the story of how he was out with Matthew at a concert, but he still was studying for a test on his smartphone.
“As a sister, I am so proud of Matthew,” Marcella wrote. “In his pain and suffering, throughout painful chemotherapies, side effects, and battling his diseases, he still wanted to finish his degree and make us proud of him.”
Matthew is survived by his brother, Michael, his sister, Marcella and his parents.
