Funeral Services for Matthew Ortega

Dear family and friends,

On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, Matthew, 23, and his friend, Molly passed away in a car accident.

He was a student at Cal State San Bernardino, where he studied Public Health. He was expecting to graduate in December.

He was the second of six children.

Matthew always had a smile on his face - it was infectious and could light up a room. He didn’t take himself too seriously, which made him a joy to be around. His free-spirited nature was both refreshing and contagious. He made those around him feel seen and welcomed, and he had a natural ability to connect to people. Matthew was an open book. He was courageous, kind, encouraging, loving, and generous with his time. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was unapologetic about it. He was free. He was happy.

Our family has suffered a tremendous loss in Matthew’s unexpected passing. On behalf of my sister, Kathy, I am raising funds to help cover funeral costs and other expenses. As Kathy takes this time to grieve the loss of her son, our sister, Lorena, has taken on the responsibility of planning Matthew's funeral services. Thus, I have named her the beneficiary of these funds. Any assistance that you can provide is appreciated.

**Update: As we have reached our goal, all donations to this fundraiser have been stopped. Additionally, the urgency with which we need to withdraw funds is critical as we must begin planning services immediately.

This fundraiser was created to help cover funeral costs and other expenses. Other expenses included providing Kathy with financial support, as she was only given five days of bereavement through her employer. Recent events have seen her fully responsible for all funeral expenses - 100% of the funds will go to funeral costs.