He fought through tears during funeral to deliver touching tribute to teacher who raised thousands during his illness
The father of a south Belfast school teacher, who sadly died after battling spinal cancer, has spoken of his “kindness, charm” and “unmistakable twinkle in his eye”.
Matthew Starkey, who was diagnosed with stage four spinal cancer in February this year after what started out as a football injury a few months beforehand, sadly died at Marie Curie Hospice on Sunday.
His father, Frank, fought through tears during a funeral for the 32-year-old at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Carryduff on Thursday to deliver a moving tribute to the way his son faced his diagnosis with “grace, courage, and an incredible sense of humour”.
Read more: South Belfast man raises over £50k in three weeks as part of half marathon campaign after cancer diagnosis
Read more: Belfast man with stage 4 cancer diagnosis aiming to be ‘fast and tumorous’ with marathon fundraiser
Speaking to Belfast Live earlier this year, the teacher shared how he was hoping to stay positive amid his diagnosis and set himself the challenge of completing the Belfast Half Marathon later this year in a wheelchair.
He documented his cancer battle on social media under the name “Fast and Tumorous”, and raised £50,000 for Friends of the Cancer Centre.
While in hospital, Matthew interviewed for a job at St Colman’s Sixth Form College in Ballynahinch, and got a full-time position at the school after three years there on a temporary basis.
Pupils from the school formed a guard of honour at the Carryduff chapel on Friday.
In June, Matthew married his girlfriend Carrie, providing an update on his GoFundMe page: “One week ago I married the woman of my dreams, surrounded by our nearest and dearest and overcoming some hurdles along the way.
His father, Frank, paid tribute to the “extraordinary work of the Marie Curie hospice staff on the Knock Road, who supported Matthew and all of us through this ordeal” as he addressed mourners on Thursday.
“You’re all living saints and words don’t do you justice,” the grieving dad said. “We can’t thank you enough. On behalf of our whole family, Matthew’s beautiful wife Carrie, his wonderful mum, Fiona, his lovely sister Amy, and his big little brother Daniel. Thank you for being here with us today. We’ve been overwhelmed by the love, the stories, the laughter, and the tears shared over the past few weeks. It’s reminded us again and again that Matthew wasn’t just our son, brother, or husband, he belonged to all of you too.”
He continued: “He built a community around him, a network of friends, colleagues, students, neighbours, and total strangers who somehow, after meeting him once, didn’t stay with strangers for long. He had that rare magic that pulled people in. He made them feel welcome, seen and included with his kindness, charm, and a pint of Guinness and Harrington.”
He said his son’s “journey started as a shy and quiet boy” who “preferred to stay at the edge of the crowd”.
“From those hesitant beginnings emerged a man who would grow to become the absolute center of attention, who never for show or ego, but because people naturally gravitated towards his wit, his warmth, his wit, and his sincerity,” Mr Starkey said.
“He was the one who brought people together, whether it was childhood friends, university pals, teaching colleagues, or people he’d met once on a night out. He had this beautiful habit of connecting people, nurturing those bonds, and what’s more, He kept those friendships alive across cities, countries, and time zones.
“We’ve heard from so many people over the past few months from extended friendship circles we didn’t even know existed, and each message told the same story. Matthew was caring, thoughtful, uplifting, and deeply, deeply loved.”
He described Carrie as the love of his son’s life, adding: “From the moment they met, it was clear they were perfect for each other, each other’s person, each other’s home. In just four years, they built a beautiful life filled with travel, laughter, and deep unwavering love.”
He continued: “The young couple should never have to endure what they have, but every step they took, they took together wholeheartedly and with incredible strength, and through it all, their love never faltered.”
And on his son’s career, Mr Starkey said: “Matthew travelled a few roads through his educational journey until he found his calling to teach. His passion was not just to educate his pupils, but to connect, to inspire, and to lift others up.
Teaching wasn’t just a job to him, it was where he poured his whole heart, and he didn’t just teach lessons from a textbook. He taught empathy, he taught humour, he taught perspective and compassion. Matthew became the kind of teacher pupils remember forever, the one who made learning feel real, human, and joyful.”
He continued: “Even when Matthew was diagnosed with stage four spinal cancer at just 32 years old, he still didn’t stop giving. If anything, he gave more. He basically faced that diagnosis the same way he faced everything in life, with grace, courage, and an incredible sense of humour. He launched his ‘fast and tumorous’ campaign, not just to share his journey, but to raise awareness for young people facing cancer and also raise valuable funds for friends at the Cancer Center, an organization close to his heart.
“He turned that page into something extraordinary. It was filled with honesty, updates on his treatments, his reflections, his frustrations, and, of course, cooking tips. All was delivered with that unmistakable twinkle in his eye. Even in his most difficult moments, he kept a smile.”
Fighting back tears, the grieving dad added: “He taught us more in the last few months than we ever taught him. He redefined what strength looks like with his courageous and inspiring approach to this particular journey. He brought love, laughter, great determination, positivity to every day. We as a family say thank you, Matthew, for the privilege of being your wife, dad, mum, sister, and a colleague.”
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