Obituaries

 

Matthew R. Pleva

Died August 10, 2014

CEDAR--Matthew Richard Pleva, 14, of Cedar, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, Aug. 10, 2014 at Munson Medical Center.

Matt was born on Dec. 20, 1999, in Traverse City, the son of Dale and Katrina (Weber) Pleva.

Matt was infinitely creative from the time he was old enough to rearrange the living room furniture into Blanket Forts. He loved to build, whether it was with Legos, wood, or Minecraft. He enjoyed Minecraft so much, in fact, that he could watch hours of other people playing on YouTube--usually when he was supposed to be sleeping.

Matt was an accomplished practical joker, always keeping his family--especially his Mom and Dad--on their toes. One year he drew his own name for Christmas, and instead of picking again, he bought his own presents.

Matt was Reserve Grand Champion in Market for dairy feeders at the 2014 Northwestern Michigan Fair, and he encouraged his older sister to switch to steers for the 2015 fair. (So he wouldn’t have to beat her.)

Matt loved animals, both real and stuffed. He slept with such a large pile of stuffed animals when he was younger that it was impossible to see if he was actually in the bed or not. He often snuck the family’s barn cats into the house, convinced he could tame them if he could keep them hidden in his room long enough. His most recent attempt gave birth on his bed, and by default--in true Matt-fashion-logic--those kittens became “his” kittens.

He loved to watch Xena, which bred his desire to visit New Zealand and open his own restaurant. He never wore his own shoes, and whenever his mom told him to put on a pair of jeans he refused to acknowledge he’d ever owned any. He was happiest with his shoes off. He was very close to his cousin Abby, and he liked to brag that Mark and Lexi were the best godparents out of all of his siblings.

Matt had a unique sense of humor--if he could annoy someone, especially his brother Jacob, he was happy. He would say “be-yuz” instead of “because,” “tentically” instead of “technically,” and would precede questions with “Wait, I’m confused,” just to drive his sisters crazy when they tried to correct him. He always put his own spin on even the simplest of requests, and he was forever asking questions that no one knew the answer to.

Matt ran cross country and was planning on playing soccer for Glen Lake in the fall as a freshman. He loved any ride that got his adrenaline pumping, especially roller coasters. He loved music and computers, and he drove his mom nuts installing things she didn’t know how to get rid of. He liked Harry Potter and the Hunger Games, and he loved going to the movies with his siblings. He harbored an intense and unexpected love for all things LSU from the age of 8, and it was the only university he ever entertained attending.

Matt was an altar server at Holy Rosary Church and a Gift of Life donor.

Matt is survived by his parents; maternal grandfather, Thomas P. Weber, Sr.; paternal grandmother, Patricia Pleva; siblings, Lauryn, Kristen (Richard) Rethoret, Kaley, Dale T., Kary, and Jacob Thomas; a nephew, Jonah Richard Rethoret; family friend Sarah Kappele; and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Jacob James; maternal grandmother, Iva Weber; and paternal grandfather, Richard Pleva.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, Aug. 17 from 5 to 8 p.m. with a rosary to be prayed at 7:30 at Holy Rosary Church in Isadore.  The funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, Aug. 18 at 11 a.m. also at the church. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Fr. Donald Libby will serve as celebrant.

Memorials may be directed to Matthew R. Pleva Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 159, Suttons Bay, MI 49682, Mass Intentions, and/or to the Holy Rosary Food Pantry, 6982 S. Schomberg Road, Cedar, MI 49621.

Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay.