Matthew Farley
Matthew Griffiths Farley, age 49, a resident of Albuquerque, NM, passed away peacefully on Thanksgiving, November 22. Matthew was hit by a methamphetamine impaired driver on
June 26, 2017 and suffered severe traumatic brain injuries. His cause of death resulted from the injuries sustained in the car crash.
Matt was born in Summit, NJ, the third child of Terence and Audrey Farley and grew up in Westfield, NJ. He graduated from Northeastern University in Boston and frequently volunteered at the New England Aquarium.
Matt was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, teacher, friend and mentor who will be dearly missed. Matt will always be remembered for his many wonderful qualities including his wit and humor, kindness, humility, inquisitive nature, intellectual curiosity, positive "can do attitude" and wisdom. Matthew was an avid naturalist, a cycylist and environmentalist who enjoyed the outdoors and dedicated many of his years organizing and educating others, including his students on sharing the outdoors, inspiring hope and exploration, while working with others on ways to become positive agents for restoration and change within Environmentalism and Environmental Education.
Matt was one of the original staff members involved in the opening of the Albuquerque Aquarium. Matt was an exemplary teacher at Rio Rancho High School. Along with several of his close colleagues, he was also instrumental in the development of the successful series of Advanced Placement Environmental Science and Zoology curriculum at Rio Rancho High School. He was recently awarded the 2018 NM Outstanding Environmental Educator award.
Matt is survived by his wife of 17 years, Karen, their two sons, Collin and Gavin, his mother, Audrey, sister Elizabeth Farley, and his brother, Peter. His father, Terrence, predeceased him.
His legacy will live on through his boys and students.
Matt’s courage throughout this tragedy is a testament to his incredible strong character, will, and bravery for his family and friends.
The family of Matt is forever grateful for the tremendous outpouring of love and support from friends, colleagues, students and the community. In memory of Matt, the family requests donations be made to riversource.net or request that those interested, please do a random act of kindness for others, the environment, or for animals in honor of Matthew Farley.