Matthew Mboya Crump

Tonight it grieves me to once again report another tragedy among our circle of friends, a man who was like a brother to me, Matt Crump. Already there have been dozens of messages here on Facebook, and many, many phone calls and emails...but I feel it necessary to honor yet another dear friend here, in the way I honored my friend who passed Thursday... This week has been filled with nearly unbearable heartbreak for me.

Shortly after lunch today I received a gut-wrenching call from Matt's beloved fiancé, Tricia Bruck. She had just arrived at Brackenridge Hospital. I want to tell her story, and mine, because there are so many who are still trying to come to terms with how someone as young as Matt could just be...gone...

She and Matt had just come from Sunday brunch downtown, and had stopped by the convention center to pick up a SXSW badge he needed for Monday's activities...when Matt indicated he was having trouble breathing. He immediately pulled over and they'd barely gotten the emergency flashers on when Matt slumped over in his seat. Try as she might, Tricia was unable to get him to respond, and immediately called 911. Being within mere blocks of both Brackenridge Hospital as well as the downtown fire station, emergency responders were tapping on her car's window even before she got off the phone with them. They worked on Matt, in the car and ambulance, for as long as they dared, but were unable to revive him; unable to get his heart started again... They then rushed him to Brackenridge, but all their efforts simply couldn't bring him back...

His heart, it seems, in some terrible way they have yet to fully define, had failed him.

Tricia's excellent friends Diana and Robert had arrived by the time my friend Yishai and I had gotten there, and were so unbelievably helpful in providing the support she needed. I want to thank them for being there for me, too... David and Ashley Aldridge came as well as Elizabeth, a dear friend who I had met when they dated years ago, and we were all allowed to see him one last time before they had to take him away...

Matt was one of the closest friends I ever made while working in the computer gaming industry... And his friendship continued, as close as ever, long after I left it to pursue other endeavors... Very few other folks remained the kind of friend Matt was to me constantly, through thick and thin, during his victories and mine, as well as through the numerous trying times we both shared...

Matt was the one instrumental in convincing me to get online and actually have fun playing games, instead of just making them... And he encouraged me to reach out to include other friends and family as part of our play-sessions...

I spoke to him almost every day, and had amazing camaraderie with him; at the various movies we'd go to, at fine meals we'd share all the time, simply hanging out together at his house, visiting with his crazy dog Maggie, playing games, and just enjoying awesome conversation...

To say that I'm going to miss him has to be the biggest understatement I've ever made... There is a hole in my heart tonight...

And I'd selfishly hoped I'd get to share so many, many more years together as his friend...

There will never be another like Matt...

Matt was survived by his mom Janet (Newburyport, MA), dad Frank (Newburyport, MA), brother Joshua (Okinawa, Japan), fiancé Tricia (Austin, TX), dog Maggie and several aunts, uncles, and cousins in Massachusetts and Virginia.