MATTHEW HOLLAND

Matthew Lynn Holland, of West Newton, Massachusetts, died on January 31, 2010 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 25 years old. He was born on January 6, 1985 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Meg and Bill Holland. Matt was on a journey through Chile and Argentina in search of meaning and adventure. With his fluency in the Spanish language he was able to meet many different people. He worked on organic farms, helped out in a permaculture community in Patagonia, and enjoyed dancing until the early morning hours in Buenos Aires. Wherever he went and whatever he was doing, Matt enriched the lives of the people around him. At the age of 13, Matt was already clear about his values and goals. He especially valued the relationships he created with the people he met and made an eloquent statement of his beliefs about relationship when he graduated from the eighth grade “Coming-of-Age” program at the First Unitarian Society in Newton. Matt was a reliable participant in the Society’s many social action activities from volunteering at the Boston Food Bank to being an enthusiastic participant in the Youth Coffeehouse that raises funds for the Chawama Family Home for AIDS orphans in Lusaka, Zambia. As a student at Newton North High School, Matt was a cross-country runner and an enthusiastic member of the Northern Lights, the School’s a capella singing group. When he graduated, Matt participated in City Year, Boston’s full-time youth service program, before entering the University of Massachusetts Boston as a freshman. Later, he took time off from his college education to work with LowerNine.Org, a grassroots non-profit dedicated to assisting homeowners to rebuild in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans following the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. Other activities that Matt delighted in included construction work on mountain trails with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s trail crew (TFC), assisting with the high school youth group at Follen Church in Lexington, and hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. He also loved playing games, reading, and creating unique food dishes. Matt is survived by his parents, Meg and Bill Holland and his younger brother Craig of West Newton, Massachusetts, and numerous loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. A service will be held in Matt’s memory at First Unitarian Society in Newton, 1326 Washington St., West Newton, MA at 1:00 on Saturday, February 27. Matt was happiest when he acted in service to others: City Year, AMC trail crew, LowerNine.Org, distributing food through Fair Foods in Dorchester. Please extend his energy into the world by performing community service/ social justice work in his memory in whatever way is right for you, or make a donation to support such work. Send us a card (223 Webster Street, West Newton, MA, USA) telling us what you have done. We will collect your cards to put in Matt’s Book.