Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Dept. Mourns Loss Of Firefighter Who Joined Up As A Teenager

UPPER GWYNEDD, PA — A Lansdale man who spent nearly 25 years with the Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department, having first joined up as a junior firefighter when he was a mere teenager, has passed away, the department recently announced.

Matthew C. Huff, who in addition to his firefighting duties in Montgomery County was also a 911 dispatcher for Bucks County for many years, died last Friday. He was 38 years old.

A cause of death was not released.

Huff had joined the Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department back in 1998 as a junior firefighter and went on to become a member of the executive board for more than 10 years, holding the positions of trustee and vice president, according to the department.

Huff had also previously served as chief engineer and most recently he was in the position of assistant engineer.

"Matt was best known for his love of keeping the apparatus running, teaching young driver/operators, and his weather predictions for impending storms," the fire department posted to Facebook. "Our family is missing a big heart beat and our thoughts and prayers are with Matt's immediate family."

Huff also spent time working as an emergency communications systems specialist with Montgomery County, according to his obituary, which says that he also served with the Volunteer Medical Service Corps. of Lansdale for a decade.

"Matt enjoyed music and taught himself to play many instruments, including the piano," his obituary reads. "He also had a passion for weather tracking and was the founder of Southeastern PA Severe Weather website."

In a social media post, the fire department thanked members of the community for their outpouring of support, saying that Huff was "one of a kind. His passion for the fire service and his community will never be forgotten."

Huff is survived by his children, Nicholas M. Huff, Christopher M. Huff and Gabriella M. Huff, as well as his brother, Brian T. Huff (Antonella) of Lansdale, according to his obituary.

Relatives and friends may attend a viewing on Thursday between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home, 701 Derstine Avenue, Lansdale, and on Friday between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. at St. Stanislaus Church, 51 Lansdale Avenue, Lansdale.

A funeral mass has been scheduled for Friday at 10:30 a.m. and burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery in North Wales.

In lieu of flowers, Huff's family requests that donations be made to the Upper Gwynedd Township Fire Department, P.O. Box 340, West Point, PA 19486.