Help Matt Cornish’s Family Lay Him to Rest

We are devastated to share that my brother Matthew Read Cornish has suddenly died. Matt’s passing on December 13, 2025 was unexpected and his 4 young adult children need some help to pay for his final arrangements.

Matt wore a variety of hats throughout his life and he struggled with his share of demons. From 1975-2004, he played the trumpet professionally. His musical range was vast, including performing with the Woody Herman and Artie Shaw orchestras to recording with Culture Club, Howard Jones, and Chaka Khan, and being a Sideman with Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Vic Damone, The Temptations, and others. When I was in college, my friends and I loved seeing him perform with Blue Heaven when they played at Harper’s Ferry in Brighton. Then when I got married, he played Trumpet Voluntary for me while my father walked me down the aisle. He was my daughter’s godfather and my next door neighbor for many years. Matt was the guy we could call whenever we needed anything from a hammer to some help moving a heavy couch or giving a buzz cut to my young son who was too afraid to go to a barber shop.

Matt also earned his Master’s degree in Social Work after getting into recovery. Through his work as an addictions counselor, he touched the lives of thousands of struggling people. He knew firsthand how difficult living with an addiction was and he did his very best to share the lessons he had learned with other folks. On his Facebook page under his profile photo he wrote, “Hope that I have helped someone in some way.”

Matt’s 4 kids Christine, Brendan, Jack, and Michael were the most important people in his life. He was incredibly proud of them and all of their accomplishments. One of the happiest days of his life was on June 21, 2025, when he walked Christine down the aisle at her wedding.

Matt’s kids plan to have a celebration of life for him sometime in the spring of 2026. We are so grateful for any support to help them honor their wonderful dad who most certainly helped so many people in so many ways over the course of his lifetime. All funds raised here will go directly to pay for the costs associated with Matt’s final arrangements and any expenses related to his estate. Thank you.