Matthew "Matty" Pressimone Jr.

The word "No" was simply not part of this man's vocabulary.

Matthew "Matty" Pressimone Jr., of Medford, New York, passed away on Friday, August 14, at the age of 87. Born in Brooklyn on April 28, 1939, he was the son of the late Matthew Pressimone Sr. and Columbia Pressimone.

Matty was the kind of man who simply showed up. Whether someone needed a ride, a repair, advice, or help at any hour, family and friends knew they could call him. He never looked for recognition; taking care of the people he loved was simply who he was.

For 39 years, Matty shared a loving and devoted marriage with his beloved wife, Mary Ann Pressimone. Together they made their home in Medford and built a life centered on family and commitment to one another. During Mary Ann's battle with ovarian cancer, Matty devoted himself completely to her care, never missing a doctor's appointment and standing beside her through every challenge. After her passing, those closest to him knew he never stopped missing the love of his life.

Matty proudly served in the United States Air Force and was stationed in Alaska. He loved telling stories about the brutal winters and his job keeping watch over what was coming in and out. Those stories often included his suspicions about aliens and secret experiments. Although he admitted he never actually saw anything unusual, Pop always had a feeling there was more going on up there than people knew.

For more than 30 years, Matty worked for Entenmann's Bakery in Brentwood, helping make its famous apple pies. He rose before dawn each morning and proudly spoke of never missing a day of work. His grandchildren remember another perk of the job: the chocolate chip cookies he brought home, forever known to them as "Pa-pa cookies."

Known affectionately as "Pop" to his grandchildren Devin, Travis, Cassandra, and Julianne. Matty was a constant presence in their lives. He attended sporting events, took them fishing, picked them up from school, drove them wherever they needed to go, helped whenever a car broke down, and chased them around the house pretending to "slime" them. Julianne fondly remembers the Halloween tradition of Pop and Grandma taking her trick-or-treating around the neighborhood every year, no matter what the weather brought. They would gather goodies and make memories along the way. In the final year of his life, Matty was especially proud to become a great-grandfather to Olivia, a role that brought him tremendous joy.

When Cassandra needed someone to attend an elementary school square dance because her father was away for work, Pop stepped in so she wouldn't have to miss it. Devin remembers Pop at all of his sporting events, their fishing trips, rides together, and even being trusted to drive Pop's beloved Trans Am. When Travis needed help with school projects, Pop used the same remarkable artistic ability and attention to detail he put into his elaborate model train village to help create projects they would always remember.

If his grandchildren needed him, Pop was there.

That devotion extended throughout his family. The emotional support Matty gave his stepdaughter, Doreen Szemko, during some of the most challenging times in her life was unsurpassed. He also shared his tremendous knowledge of automobiles with his stepson, Frank Szemko, spending countless hours together working on cars.

And few things captured Matty quite like his love of cars.

During the 70s and 80s, Matty participated in amateur racing in the Hamptons in his white 1979 Pontiac Formula Firebird. He won numerous trophies. One of his first dates with Mary Ann was at one of those races. Matty won that day and gave Mary Ann the trophy to take home. A simple gesture that became part of their 39-year love story.

Later in life, Matty became nearly inseparable from his immaculate black 2000 Pontiac Trans Am WS6. He collected Trans Am memorabilia and could identify nearly any classic car by its make, model, year, and often its engine. Cassandra especially loved telling people that her 87-year-old grandfather was still driving around in a Trans Am.

Beyond cars, Matty loved NASCAR, fishing on Patchogue Bay, old movies, model airplanes, his model train village, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys. One favorite family memory was attending a Beach Boys concert at Jones Beach with Frank, Angela and Julianne Szemko. Despite a fierce rainstorm, Matty sang, danced, laughed, and enjoyed every minute.

Matty was calm, humble, talented, and extraordinarily dependable. He never needed to be the loudest person in the room. He found happiness in helping, fixing, creating, teaching, and simply being with the people he loved.

Matty is survived by his sisters, Antoinette (George) Kennedy and Patricia DeFelice; his stepchildren, Frank and Doreen Szemko; his grandchildren, Devin, Travis, Cassandra, and Julianne; his nieces, Toni DeFelice and Stacey DeFelice; and many loving family members and friends.

His family will remember him in countless little ways: a classic car, a NASCAR race, a Beach Boys song, a fishing trip, a model train, a box of "Pa-pa cookies," or another story about what Pop thought might really have been happening in Alaska.

Perhaps Matty himself said it best. After losing Mary Ann, he reminded his family:

"As long as we are all together, that's the most important thing."

Those words reflected the way he lived.

Matty's final days were spent in hospice care at the VA Medical Center in Northport, New York. He will be laid to rest beside his beloved Mary Ann at Calverton National Cemetery.

After years apart, Matty and Mary Ann will be together once more.

And whenever his family is together, a part of Pop will always be there too.