Obituary for Matthew Roland Yudt, Ph.D.
Matthew R. Yudt, 52, of Schwenksville, beloved husband of Rachael Nicole Stein Yudt, transitioned at home with his family by his bedside on Wednesday, November 11, 2020, after a two-year battle with Large B-Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma.
Ironically, one of the few able to understand and explain the complexity of Matt’s diagnosis would be Matt himself. A molecular endocrinologist at his core, Matt possessed a level of intelligence and a love of inquiry that was both unfathomable and undeniable to those who knew him. Matt, a 1986 alumnus of Whitehall High School, was inducted into the Whitehall-Coplay School District’s “Zephyr Graduates of Distinction” in 2012. Such an honor, while impressive, is not surprising. Matt earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Penn State University in 1991 and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Rochester in 1998. Matt continued to carry the rigor of both programs with him throughout his professional career, the majority of which he spent as a scientific director in the pharmaceutical industry. A man who wore many hats, Matt also served as an adjunct professor at Villanova University where he taught graduate courses on molecular endocrinology and pharmacology.
Family and friends knew of Matt’s intellectual endeavors and remember his brilliance in various ways. For most of the children in his life, it lives in the images of his handmade snow ramps he constructed off rock walls; the practical jokes he pulled on his family; the scientific, political, or philosophical autobiography he was always reading; and the rich fanaticism with which he collected vintage baseball cards, watched his beloved Eagles and Phillies, and played numerous rounds of golf around the globe. Matt found a way to weave intensity and leisure in a way that was rare, filled with joy, and seemingly always done with vigor and love.
In addition to his beloved wife, Matt is survived by his three children, Noah, Elijah, and Liviah, whom he adored. The remainder of his surviving family includes his parents Gail and Roland Yudt, of Coplay, Pa; his brother Mark Yudt, of Orlando, FL, and his paternal grandmother Anna Yudt, of Coplay PA.
Visitation will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 150 N Hanover St, Pottstown, PA 19464 starting at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, 2020. Due to current restrictions, we ask you to follow social distancing protocols and a facial covering must be worn.
In lieu of flowers donations are greatly appreciated and can be made in Matthew’s name to support lymphoma research, checks payable to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market St. Ste 750, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 or at www.penncancer.org Please notate Matthew’s name and Sunita Nasta Lymphoma Program in the memo of the check or in honor or memory while donating online.
Prior to passing, Matt asked for the following of his family: “When I die, tell people the truth.” The truth is that Matt was a scientist who read philosophy in cat cafes. The truth is that Matt was a father who watched his family play Guitar Hero one minute and fell asleep with the remote clutched in his hand (in great fear that they might change the channel) the next. The truth is that Matt lead drug discovery projects with rigor by day and told corny dad jokes by night. The truth is Matt’s golf game took precedence over much else, so much so that people did not want to compete with him, he was that good. The truth is Matt coached his children’s baseball and softball teams allowing the children on his teams to play all positions so no one was left behind. The truth is that Matt would drive the back way every time just to avoid red lights. The truth is that Matt utilized his extraordinary eye for detail in both the laboratory and in his everyday life—the first one to discover GR isotopes under a microscope and to help someone when they were down, Matt was a man of humble persistence. The truth is that Matt made no sense and so much sense all at the same time. The truth is that Matt lived a life that inspired those who knew him to ask serious questions without ever becoming too serious yourself. The truth is that we loved him and that we will continue to do so forever.
Ironically, one of the few able to understand and explain the complexity of Matt’s diagnosis would be Matt himself. A molecular endocrinologist at his core, Matt possessed a level of intelligence and a love of inquiry that was both unfathomable and undeniable to those who knew him. Matt, a 1986 alumnus of Whitehall High School, was inducted into the Whitehall-Coplay School District’s “Zephyr Graduates of Distinction” in 2012. Such an honor, while impressive, is not surprising. Matt earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry from Penn State University in 1991 and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of Rochester in 1998. Matt continued to carry the rigor of both programs with him throughout his professional career, the majority of which he spent as a scientific director in the pharmaceutical industry. A man who wore many hats, Matt also served as an adjunct professor at Villanova University where he taught graduate courses on molecular endocrinology and pharmacology.
Family and friends knew of Matt’s intellectual endeavors and remember his brilliance in various ways. For most of the children in his life, it lives in the images of his handmade snow ramps he constructed off rock walls; the practical jokes he pulled on his family; the scientific, political, or philosophical autobiography he was always reading; and the rich fanaticism with which he collected vintage baseball cards, watched his beloved Eagles and Phillies, and played numerous rounds of golf around the globe. Matt found a way to weave intensity and leisure in a way that was rare, filled with joy, and seemingly always done with vigor and love.
In addition to his beloved wife, Matt is survived by his three children, Noah, Elijah, and Liviah, whom he adored. The remainder of his surviving family includes his parents Gail and Roland Yudt, of Coplay, Pa; his brother Mark Yudt, of Orlando, FL, and his paternal grandmother Anna Yudt, of Coplay PA.
Visitation will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 150 N Hanover St, Pottstown, PA 19464 starting at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, 2020. Due to current restrictions, we ask you to follow social distancing protocols and a facial covering must be worn.
In lieu of flowers donations are greatly appreciated and can be made in Matthew’s name to support lymphoma research, checks payable to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market St. Ste 750, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 or at www.penncancer.org Please notate Matthew’s name and Sunita Nasta Lymphoma Program in the memo of the check or in honor or memory while donating online.
Prior to passing, Matt asked for the following of his family: “When I die, tell people the truth.” The truth is that Matt was a scientist who read philosophy in cat cafes. The truth is that Matt was a father who watched his family play Guitar Hero one minute and fell asleep with the remote clutched in his hand (in great fear that they might change the channel) the next. The truth is that Matt lead drug discovery projects with rigor by day and told corny dad jokes by night. The truth is Matt’s golf game took precedence over much else, so much so that people did not want to compete with him, he was that good. The truth is Matt coached his children’s baseball and softball teams allowing the children on his teams to play all positions so no one was left behind. The truth is that Matt would drive the back way every time just to avoid red lights. The truth is that Matt utilized his extraordinary eye for detail in both the laboratory and in his everyday life—the first one to discover GR isotopes under a microscope and to help someone when they were down, Matt was a man of humble persistence. The truth is that Matt made no sense and so much sense all at the same time. The truth is that Matt lived a life that inspired those who knew him to ask serious questions without ever becoming too serious yourself. The truth is that we loved him and that we will continue to do so forever.