Matthew John Riese
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Matthew John Riese, age 44, was welcomed into Heaven on December 1, 2020, following an unexpected acute illness. Matt was the youngest of eight children, born on Dec. 9, 1975, in Neenah, WI, to Dr. Jerome and Maureen (Fenlon) Riese of Menasha, WI. Even though Matt was the cherished "baby of the family," he strove not just to keep up with, but to exceed his siblings' prowess, from swinging a Little League bat to reading Homer's The Iliad at age five, much to the approval of his mother, a teacher.
He grew up guided by parents who encouraged him to achieve his best and surrounded by brothers and sisters who adored him. Along the way, he enjoyed many hijinks and adventures, especially with his brother, Jerome.
Matt attended St. Mary Elementary School in Menasha, WI and graduated from Xavier High School, Appleton, WI. In 1997, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Matt graduated with MD and PhD degrees from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2004 and then completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. He went on to complete a fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Most recently, Matt worked as an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He was an outstanding scientist, clinician, and educator. In addition to his oncology practice and faculty appointments at Medical College of Wisconsin and Blood Center of Wisconsin, Matt directed a research lab focused on cancer immunotherapies. He was honored with many awards, including the Armand Quick Award for Excellence in Biochemistry (2004) and the Outstanding Graduate School Educator Award (2019) both from the Medical College of Wisconsin, The Young Physician Scientist Award from the American Society for Clinical Investigation (2014) and the Outstanding Research Award at the Young Immuno-oncology Research Symposia (2015).
Matt was passionate about advancing scientific research enabling his patients to live their lives to the fullest. He was a prodigious and innovative research scientist authoring over 40 peer-reviewed publications nationally and internationally and a medical patent.
Matt's family was the light of his life. He met his wife, Annette Konkle of Sun Prairie, WI while they both were attending UW-Madison. Annette was Matt's soulmate and trusted partner for the next 20 years. They were married at Sacred Hearts Catholic Church, Sun Prairie, May 27, 2000. They were blessed with two wonderful sons, Adam and Liam.
Matt deeply cherished his sons and loved to make them a frequent topic of conversation with almost anyone who crossed his path. He encouraged their academics and athleticism with enthusiasm, hard work, and the occasional good-natured bet, which the boys always won. Although Matt could not be described as athletically gifted, he spent many hours helping his children to study technique and practice skills in the backyard. He enjoyed attending every one of their games, near and far. Matt will also be remembered as an expert and avid planner of annual summer family vacations. The family ventured to museums, stadiums, and national parks across the country. Vacations could never be called relaxing, as they were always full of education, excitement and, occasionally, the unpredictable.
Matt had a heart of gold and lived to help others. His professional colleagues described him as brilliant, gifted, funny, and humble. Matt's oncology patients called him kind, calm, and an excellent listener. As a lifelong student of history, nature, music, and literature, his in-depth knowledge of a vast array of topics made him a sought-after team member at family trivia. Matt started most mornings by racing against the clock to finish the New York Times crossword puzzle. He was also a great conversationalist filled with a wry wit. Matt made himself available any time of night or day to help family members, friends, and patients. His love of learning was exceeded only by his love of laughter and family gatherings, large and small.
Survivors include his beloved wife, Annette, Mequon; sons, Adam and Liam, at home; sisters, Ruth Anne (David) Landsverk, Rebecca Kelly, Rachel Segal and Judith Blaney; brothers, Dr. Richard (Jeannine) Riese and Jerome (Karen) Riese; mother-in-law Diana Konkle; brother-in-law Andrew (Lisa) Konkle; sister-in-law Jeanne Riese. He is also survived by nieces and nephews: Maureen (William) Goss; Matthew and Joseph Landsverk; John Patrick, Thomas, and William Kelly; Alexander, Maximillian, and Victoria Segal; Richard and Erin Blaney; Gabrielle Riese; and Rachel, Katherine, Mary, and Brigit Riese.
He is joyfully welcomed into Heaven by his parents; brother, Randall; father-in-law, Lawrence Konkle; and brothers-in-law, Brian Blaney, Thomas Kelly, and David Segal.
Private funeral services will be held due to Covid-19. Well wishers are invited to express their condolences at www.schramkafuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to support cancer research can be made to the Medical College of Wisconsin, Attn: Office of Development, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., or P.O. Box 26509, Milwaukee, WI 53226. Memorial gifts may also be made online at www.mcw.edu/giving/ways-to-give/memorial-and-honor-gifts.
Truly, the world is a better place because Matt lived, worked, and laughed in it for nearly 45 years. He left us much too soon and will be forever loved.