Matthew Green Jr., beloved son, husband, father, brother and friend, passed away unexpectedly, surrounded by his family, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at Toronto General Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was 61 years old.

Born in Greenville, Mississippi, at General Hospital on February 15, 1964, to Matthew Green Sr. and Cherrye N. Ervin, Matthew knew from an early age that drawing and creating art would be his life’s passion.

During his formative years, he grew up in Greenville, attending Sacred Heart Elementary School, Coleman Jr. High School; there he developed his love for music, playing the alto saxophone in band. He attended New Hope First Baptist Church in town with his father and stepmother, Mama Marie.

Matthew relocated to Chicago, where he started attending the Church of God with his family. He gave his heart to the Lord and repented of his sins as a young teen. There he met his wife, Denise O’Neil; she was 16 and he was 15. They married nine years later on April 23, 1988. Together, they built a life and family over the next 37 years.

That same year, Matthew graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in visual communication and illustration. He did design work for Chicago-based publications and ad agencies, including Chicago magazine and the University of Chicago. He also served as an art exhibit coordinator for the Museum of Science and Industry and was a mural coordinator for the Chicago Boys and Girls Club.

Matthew continued his education by earning a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Conceptual Design from Central Michigan University (CMU) in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, in 1994. Throughout his graduate studies and beyond, he found joy in teaching drawing and graphic design, particularly to education students who shared his belief in the power of visual communication.

During this vibrant chapter of his life, Matthew also devoted himself to community art initiatives across MidMichigan. He served as a Judge of Arts and Crafts for the Isabella County Fair (1992–1995), a Docent for Art Reach, bringing exhibitions and art talks to Isabella County public schools (1996), and an Art Instructor for both the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension 4-H Camp (1992 & 1993) and CMU's King/Chavez/Parks Summer Workshops for Flint-area middle and high school students. In 1996, he also became the faculty advisor for CMU’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation Association.

In the years that followed, Matthew's art blossomed—shaped by a curious, ever-evolving spirit drawn to new mediums, shifting styles, and bold creative inquiries. His work was featured in exhibitions and art festivals, and he completed numerous commissioned portraits. Yet in the twilight of his life, he returned to the simplicity of drawing. There, in the quiet discipline of line and form, he found a deep and abiding focus, refining a technique that seemed to draw him ever inward—a practice both meditative and infinite.

And while art was his passion, he always found time to reach out, help or assist others where needed. Whether it was a family member, church member, friend or someone he didn’t personally know, he was there to help and serve. In 1986 he was awarded the Gold Congressional Award from the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C. for accumulating over 2000 hours across the areas of personal development, physical fitness, exploration and volunteer public service.

Above all, Matthew cherished being a husband and father. He treasured time spent with his wife, daughter, and son—whether it was bike riding, playing basketball, or outsmarting everyone at video games, UNO, and Pictionary. He loved long walks through city parks and wooded trails, road trips with his children, and listening to jazz greats, Mississippi gospel, or classical music. A fan of good storytelling, Matthew would binge-watch a sci-fi or drama series over long weekends with his wife. And through it all, he was a steady voice of wisdom, offering sound, sage advice, whether or not it was asked for.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife, Denise and their children, Matthew and Lydia along with his father Matthew Green Senior and his siblings, MarQuitte A. Barlow (Robert) of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Carla Boykin of Edwardsville, IL, Katrena Green, Roland Meadows, Illinois, and Carlton M. Watts Jr. of Chicago, IL. Matthew also leaves behind his father-in-law Roy White (Lillian) Illinois, Sister in Laws Bridget O’Neil, Minnesota and Catrease Bryant, Illinois, brother-in-laws, Romel Bryant (Rena) and Renard Bryant, Illinois, Roy, (Stacey) Texas, cousin Michael Ervin (California), aunt Lettie L. Morris of St. Louis, Missouri, and his god mother Edna Garner (Illinois), along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, church family and friends. He was preceded in death by his mother Cherrye N. Watts, his mother-in-law, Ina J. Coleman (George), and his stepmother, Marie D. Green.