Matthew J. Krupanski

To know Matt was to know his laugh first. He entered a room with it – big, unmistakable, usually followed by a story. He was funny, sharp, opinionated and in constant motion, a person who believed in doing, not just talking. He had little patience for pretence, a strong sense of purpose, and a way of making people laugh even when the moment did not seem to allow for it.

Born on November 9, 1977, in Springfield, Massachusetts, Matt was the son of George and Carla Krupanski. He was raised in Glen Rock, New Jersey, and Newark, Delaware, places that helped shape his early life and interests. He liked to draw; played football, baseball and drums, and from the beginning seemed wired for rhythm, momentum and making things happen.

At 16, he began touring as the drummer for Boysetsfire. For a few years, he played with his brother, Marc, by his side on bass. Music opened up the world to him and set the course for much of what followed. It sharpened his sense of justice, deepened his interest in people and place, and led him into travel and global studies. His time with Village Health Works in Burundi, Africa was especially formative, helping clarify the connection he would later pursue in his career: creating spaces that people could move through, feel and take part in, rather than simply stand back and view.

In 2012, Matt graduated with honours from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. Brooklyn suited him: its energy, its edge, its constant movement. He went on to become Design Director at Ralph Appelbaum Associates, where he worked on immersive experiences for major cultural institutions, including the American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, Carolina Museum of the Marine, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, and the Punk Rock Museum. At the time of his death, Matt was set to begin a new position at Hadley Exhibits, Inc. as Director of Engineering. He was excited about the new gig, and they were thrilled to welcome him.

He cared deeply about music and design, but the center of Matt’s life was his daughter, Georgina – his Georgie. She was his greatest love and his clearest joy. They shared music, laughter and a love of the Mets (and Jets!), and he loved being her dad above everything else.

Matt was not someone who sat still for long. He was always making, fixing, clearing, rebuilding, carrying, climbing or tinkering with something, whether that meant getting up on the roof to clear ice, rebuilding a classic Mustang, or piecing together old stereo equipment into something new. He liked action, momentum and a project with some life in it. That was true of his work, and even more true of the way he lived.

Matt died on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 48, following infection and complications after a car accident.

In addition to his daughter, Georgina, and her mother, Jen Harvey, Matt is survived by his parents, George and Carla Krupanski; his sister, Melissa Gardi and her husband, Dino; his brother, Marc J. Krupanski and his wife, Leela Van Balkom; and his beloved partner, Nina Luckman. He will be greatly missed.

For more information, visit www.mattkrupanski.com