A Note of Thanks

Our heartfelt thank-you to our families. Where would we be without you? Grandparents Alf & Bernice Churchill and Brett Pugh (Helena Turner); Uncle Dann (Nancy) Pugh; Aunt Daina (Ron) Squires; Aunt Lynette (Shawn Park) Churchill; Aunt Wanda (Gary) Gaudon; cousins Adam, Jake, Thomas (Squires), Devan, Adrianna (Gaudon) and Meghan (Pugh). Also a large circle of great aunts and uncles, cousins and close family friends. You have comforted us with our unbearable loss of Matthew, while we know that your heart also aches for him.

Our deepest appreciation to the Portugal Cove-St. Phillip’s Volunteer Firefighters for tending to Matthew and Gregory.

We would like to thank the RNC officers, paramedics and ER staff of the Janeway for all their efforts.

Thanks to Reverends Sanna, Courage, March-MacCuish and Bonnell - all of whom comforted us during that terrible night and visited with us at the funeral home.

Thank-you to family friend Darrell Butler who drove us to the Janeway on that night.

Our deepest gratitude to Todd O’Neill of Carnell’s Funeral Home for his personal touch and helping to ease the pain of the arrangements. Your suggestions and thoughtfulness will be always remembered.

Reverend Ian March-MacCuish is thanked for a touching celebration of Matthew’s life and for his visits to our home.

Thanks to Ross Squires of Memorials Forever, for his services on the day of the funeral. His kindness allowed the family to travel together to the church and to Matthew's resting place.

A special thank-you to Matthew’s pallbearers Uncles Dann Pugh, Ron Squires and Shawn Park; cousins Jerry Miller and Darrell Butler; and family friend Doug Miller.

Players and coaches from the Altius Predators, Midget "A" Allstar and Midget "B" Allstar teams of the St. John’s Minor Hockey Association are thanked for providing the honor guard at the funeral - we know Matthew is so proud of you all. I would like to acknowledge coaches and friends Jack Casey, Dave Norman, Jeff Clarke, Dean Roberts and Tony Snow for their concern, friendship and support.

We would like to thank Matthew’s teachers at Leary’s Brook Junior High for supporting Matthew’s friends during their time of grief and continue to help, which is so important to us. A warm thank-you is extended to the students and staff for the touching Memorial Service at the school. We know Matthew was watching and smiling from Heaven.

We wish all the love and strength to Matthew’s friends, you are truly amazing young adults. We thank-you for being such incredible friends to him. Although Matthew had so many friends, its impossible to name you all but we would like to especially acknowledge Gregory, Morgan, Jason, Susan, Jec, Kayla, Will, Carter, Ryan, William, Ben, Justin, Adam, Steven, Brendan, Chris, Chad, Rebecca and Mark.

Many thanks to Drs. Linda Inkpen, Rick Singleton and Hassan Khalili for listening and help us with our healing.

A sincere thank-you to our employers and co-workers at Altius Minerals Corporation and xwave-Prescription Drug Program for their support and friendship.

The community of Portugal Cove-St. Phillip’s is thanked for the overwhelming support and sympathy.

Our appreciation to Woodrow Janes of Family Memorials for his guidance in helping us chose Matthew’s monument.

To the hundreds of people who sent cards, visited the funeral home or stopped us along the way to share with us hugs, words, and tears, please know that you have comforted our pain.

Feeling lost we hold onto the hands of our new friends Bunny & Terry Greening and Arlene & Everett Sturge who walk the same path with us.

Keegan Power of DataStore is gratefully acknowledged for his assistance to us in creating the website.

Mark Hynes is acknowledged for his technical assistance with more difficult aspects of this website.

To those who have made donations to M.A.D.D., Children's Wish Foundation, Realtime Cancer, School Lunch Association, Kids Eat Smart Foundation, Janeway Children's Hospital Foundation, Mazol Shriners, Lion Max Simms Memorial Camp, St. Lawrence Church, Memorial United Church, Vera Perlin Foundation and the Autism Society of Newfoundland & Labrador - you have made a difference in a child’s life through the memory of Matthew.

Kathryn Welbourn of the Northeast Avalon Times is thanked for publishing our story

Peter Walsh of CBC is thanked for his assistance

We would like to thank Jim Furlong of The Herald for his coverage of our story

Danette Dooley is thanked for her touching story about Matthew's life with us

Ken Meaney of The Telegram is acknowledged for sending us the articles regarding Matthew.

We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to Don Warr, John Baker and Brian Dalton for overseeing and administrating the creation of the Matthew R. Churchill Memorial Fund. To those who have made donations to the Memorial Fund, we extend our deepest gratitude.

Matthew had a beautiful gift of lifting spirits and helping his friends by listening, talking, making people laugh, or showing his beautiful smile. As he had touched many lives and hearts, his acts of kindness are being returned to us.

Forever in our hearts and thoughts. We have parted for a time but we will meet again to part no more.