Matthew Lee Pettegrew

Tissue donor

Age 28 – Highland, CA

Donated on 03/16/2013

at Riverside County Coroner’s Office

Honored by OneLegacy

With a bigger than life personality and a smile that would light up any room, Matthew Lee Pettegrew brought joy to his family’s lives. After playing football and graduating from high school, he started working as a Corporal with the Morongo Indian Casino. This was fitting, as Matthew is a descendant in a long line of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe. His jovial personality gained him many friends who loved, admired and respected him. Matthew’s generosity with his friends may have ultimately cost him his life. While he was coming home from the casino after staying late with coworkers to help them with a barbecue, Matthew fell asleep while driving, and had a fatal crash. He was only 28 years old. Matthew was a registered donor and he was always proud of his mom’s job at the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation. Through his tissue donation, Matthew helped heal over 60 lives.

Matthew’s Story

Matthew Lee Pettegrew was born May 17, 1984, and it is hard to put into words the joy he brought to his family’s lives. From the moment he was born, to the moment he died, he had a bigger than life personality and a smile that would light up any room. Matthew was an unselfish and extremely loving child. As he got older, his large stature was used to his advantage in playing sports, especially football at Fontana High School. Matthew loved to dance and would often say, “big guys can move, too.”

Matthew tried his hand at numerous jobs until he found one that he would love and appreciate, along with the people in it. He was a Corporal with the Morongo Indian Casino. This was fitting, as Matthew is a descendant in a long line of the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe. His jovial personality gained him many friends who loved, admired and respected him. Matthew was known as a human teddy bear, who gave the best bear hugs, and his friendship was valued by everyone.

Matthew was known for his generosity, which may have ultimately cost him his life. He stayed late after working overtime at the casino one night, to run a BBQ for his fellow employees. It was while he was coming home from the casino, that Matthew fell asleep while driving, and had a fatal crash. He was only 28 years old.

Matthew had four nephews whom he adored. As one of his unselfish acts, even though he was so young, he had made sure that his nephews’ future education was taken care of in his absence.

Another unselfish act was being a donor. Mathew’s mother worked at the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation and Matthew was really proud of what his mother did for living, helping others through transplantation. They often discussed the importance of being a donor. It was through his visits to her office and their conversations about his intentions to become a donor that Matthew’s mother had no question about donating his tissue: she knew that this was the right decision. Through his donor tissue, Matthew was able to make a difference in over 60 lives.