CBA Grad One Of 30 NJ Residents Who Died In Ida Floods

LINCROFT, NJ — A 1999 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy was one of the 30 New Jersey residents who tragically died in the unprecedented flooding from tropical storm Ida on Sept. 1.

The man is Matthew Weber, 40, who was living in Piscataway at the time of his Sept. 1 death.

Weber was raised in Freehold and graduated from the elite boys' prep school in Lincroft in 1999. He got his bachelors degree from Rutgers. Before relocating to Piscataway for a job, he spent many years living on the Jersey Shore, in the Neptune area, where he was an avid surfer, according to his obituary.

Weber had recently moved to Piscataway as he had just taken a new job as a mental health specialist at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care, located very close to where he lived — within walking distance, in fact.

According to MyCentralJersey, he had moved into the Birchview Gardens apartment complex on River Road, a very quiet, wooded area home to mostly young families and Rutgers post-grad students.

It's also a neighborhood right next to the Raritan River and suffered unprecedented flooding in the storm.

Weber was last seen walking on River Road at 11 o'clock Wednesday night at the height of the storm. Police told MyCentralJersey.com they suspect he was walking home from the Rutgers logistics center where he worked when he was overcome by torrential flooding swirling down River Road.

Tragically, Weber's body was found two days later, Sept. 3, in the area of Baekeland Avenue in Middlesex borough.

"Matthew loved adventure and he loved the outdoors," read his obituary. "If Matthew wasn’t working he could be found surfing down at the Shore, snowboarding up north or skateboarding anywhere he could find a rail. He found peace and tranquility in the beauty of the ocean as well as the mountains."

Christian Brothers did not release a public statement on his death, but Rutgers, his employer, did:

"It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the tragic death of Matthew Weber, who was a mental health specialist in acute psychiatric services and served with distinction since joining Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care in January 2019," said Rutgers.

"Matt had many clinical talents, including a unique ability to make others feel comfortable, including patients, families and his fellow workers. He was universally seen as a kind man. He constantly and willingly offered a genuine and personal interaction with clients, families and colleagues, and he treated everyone with dignity and respect. We are extremely grateful for all the lives that Matt touched and for his dedication to the individuals and families who come to UBHC for their care."

Weber leaves behind his mother and father and his brother. He was buried at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Cemetery in Freehold Township.

According to the most up-to-date numbers from Gov. Murphy this week, a total of 30 New Jersey residents died in the flooding. New Jersey suffered the most deaths in Ida out of any state in the U.S.

There were no Ida-related deaths in Monmouth County; Monmouth was mostly spared in that storm.

As of Sept. 13:

Be the first to know. Sign up to get Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: Carly.baldwin@patch.com