Matthew Wayne Kelley

While Matthew was a member of Boy Scout Troop 511, sponsored by St. Matthew's Church in Austin, he was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America in 2004. He attended Brentwood Christian School and he graduated from Round Rock High School in 2007 and enlisted in the US Army. He completed Basic and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. As a military policeman (MP) he served at Fort Riley, KS where he deployed to Iraq in Support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM from 2009 to 2010 with elements of the 89th Military Police Brigade. In addition he served in Germany.

His principal awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, the Good Conduct Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. In addition to being an MP, Matthew was an armorer, a vehicle driver, and he qualified in Army hand to hand combatives.

After leaving the Army in 2012, Matthew became the Veterans Coordinator of Manhattan, KS where he helped fellow veterans suffering, as he did, with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through the PTSD Foundation of America.

Matthew is survived by his parents E. David and Faith Kelley, grandparents Harold "Hal" and Viola "Vi" Rutz; Uncle Mitchell Wayne Kelley, Aunt Hope and Uncle Pete Bartolotta with cousins Joy, Pierce, Eden and Asher. Uncle Paul Rutz and Aunt Sandra Henry-Alvarez. and Aunt Sherrie Spradlin and cousin Erin Elena Woolsey.

Friends may pay their respects to Matthew from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in the evening of Friday, the 30th of January 2015 at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Home at 3125 North Lamar Austin, Texas.

A funeral service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon on Saturday, the 31st of January 2015 at Grace Covenant Church located at 9431 Jollyville Road. Interment will follow at Austin Memorial Park, Austin, Texas where Matthew will be buried with military honors.

In lieu of flowers and the customary remembrances, the family suggests memorials be given to any of the following: PTSD Foundation of American / Camp Hope P.O. Box 690748 Houston, Texas 77269. Boy Scouts of America Capital Area Council Attention: Leigh Wyatt 12500 North IH35 Austin, Texas 78753. Grace Covenant Church 9508 Jollyville Road Austin, Texas 78759.

Life will not be the same without you son but "we are convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present nor the future, nor any powers will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD." Because of that truth we know we will see you again. Till we meet at Jesus' feet…Much much love, MaMa and Dad

Obituary and memorial guestbook available online at: www.wcfish.com