Matthew Kelley, 51, passed away on Thursday, March 31 while on vacation in Florida. Matt was born on March 31, 1971 in Trenton, NJ to Edward and Dorothy Kelley. Matt grew up in East Windsor, NJ attending the local schools (Black/Drew/Kreps), played soccer, football, ice hockey and baseball in the local leagues and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Lawrence, NJ in 1989. Matt’s lifelong love of landscaping and creating beautiful spaces started with studying in the horticulture program at Mercer County Community College. In the ensuing thirty years, Matt has planted, dug up, trimmed, cut, pruned and watered hundreds of plants from roses to rhododendrons from tulips to petunias and all in between. Neighbors comment daily on the beautiful landscape at Matt and Shannon’s home in Hamilton especially this time of year as leaves are budding and flowers emerge. Matt worked for the last 22 years as a driver for Garelick Farms and for the past 3 years he worked with Shannon at Recklesstown Farm Distillery in Columbus, NJ where he blended his love of creating cocktails (especially an Old Fashioned) and inclusive conversation into even more lifelong friendships. Matt was a pillar of his community in Hamilton and around Mercer County. He never said no to a friend in need, could pretty much repair anything, and he surely made the best fried turkey anywhere. Matt is survived by his loving wife Shannon (Keenan) Kelley. He and Shannon, who both graduated from Notre Dame High School, reconnected ten years ago and married six years ago. While their life together was far too short, their love story was beautiful and they were a perfect compliment to each other. Matt is also survived by daughter Stephanie, son Mack, and step-son Jimmy Moscarello and step-daughter Claire Moscarello. Matt is survived by his mother Dorothy Kelley and was predeceased by his father Edward M. Kelley in January 2022. Matt is also survived by his brother Peter, sister-in-law Brenna and nephews Stewart, Grant, and Lochlan of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and by his sister Kristin (Kelley) Herman, brother-in-law Gary Herman, nephew Kai and niece Sydney of Branchburg, NJ.