“His smile could light up the night sky”.
“O friends, consort with all the people of the world with joy and fragrance…The language of kindness is the lodestone of hearts and the food of the soul.” (‘Abdu’l-Baha)
“My son had a great passion for loving the world’s peoples”. Renee Pfeilsticker, Matthew’s mother, says their dream was to develop their property at The River of Grace, a riverside green space in Sistrunk, as a healing refuge and a place of heartfelt conversation, happy picnics, meditative moments and drum circles, where all people would be able to come together, supported in unity to hear each others’ deepest longings, finding peace and acceptance. Matthew was deeply committed to that future.
“It was his winning smile, easily conversing with total strangers and making instant friends for life. Full of love, full of care”, recalls Semence Bonane, his former partner and mother of their son.
“My dad taught me to approach different situations with ease, live in the moment, to be able to talk about childish things with serious topics sprinkled in. He was a welcoming person, and had his ups and downs,” adds Jabari Bonane.
Matthew Majestic Hyde was born in Norfolk, Virginia on February 8, 1986, and died on July 14, 2022. He is fondly remembered by his parents Michael C. Hyde and Renee Pfeilsticker, his son Jabari Bonane, his younger brother Michael J. Hyde, nephew Kayden Hyde, and extended family, as well as a wide circle of friends who loved him deeply.
He graduated from Full Sail University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. That strong entrepreneurial spirit came naturally to Matthew, coupled with curiosity about life and a love of debate. He was actively involved in planning a Conference for the Betterment of the World, held recently in the Sistrunk neighborhood. On more than one occasion, he was instrumental in selecting the name of a friend’s child.
He was an authentic, big-hearted, inspiring, beautiful soul. For a little more than 36 years Matthew Majestic Hyde delighted the world with his kindness, intelligence and sheer joy of life. He left us too soon and will be missed by many.
