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 In
Memory
of Matt
New Jersey Animal Rights Alliance (NJARA), has
set up this place page to honor our friend, colleague, and Advisory Board
member, Matt Fancera.
Matt passed away suddenly from a heart
attack, at the age of 49 on April 5, 2003. As a tireless worker for animal
liberation, he will be sorely missed. For those who did not have the honor
of knowing him, Matt was a long-time vegan and animal activist with NJARA.
The picture entitled, "A Bunch of Lazy Bums," shows Matt relaxing with
(clockwise) Christopher, Jezabel, Ricky, Harley, Woodrow, Kelly, Clifton,
Mr. Gray, Sheena, Rutherford, Phoenix and Max.
All of us who knew and loved Matt have
memories of him that will keep us smiling for the rest of our lives. Matt
touched all of us in ways we will never forget.
While we will attempt to give you a feel
for what Matt represented to those of us who loved him dearly, no words
can do him justice.
Matt was born on April 16, 1953 in Newark, New
Jersey. Matt grew up in Newark, or "Nork," as he would say, and was in
most ways, a city boy at heart. His "Nork" came out whenever he was angry
or upset. Matt's overwhelming sense of justice and compassion inspired him
to act on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves. Even as a
young boy, his compassion for animals was evident.
While at a
summer camp, Matt staged an "ALF" action. Late at night, a friend and he
released all the turtles and snakes from the confines of their unnatural
cages in the camp's nature center. They tried to make it look like they
escaped on their own, but as Matt grew up he realized the hard truth that
they had no chance of escaping on their own.
Matt spent the rest of
his life exposing the lies, rescuing animals and being a caring life
partner to Janine Motta, (NJARA's office manager). He was a unique
character--funny, cranky, and outspoken.
Matt first got involved
with animal activism by attending fur protests sponsored by Friends of
Animals in the early 80s. He became a dedicated volunteer with NJARA in
the late 80s, after one of our members stuck a leaflet under the
windshield of his car that was covered with pro-animal bumperstickers.
He served as a co-coordinator with Janine for many years in NJARA's
Shore District. He has given talks all over NJ, staffed hundreds of
community booths, gave presentations at schools, served on NJARA's
dissection committee, and in his capacity of Advisory Board member helped
to develop many of NJARA's policies. He had numerous talents, including
cooking which landed him the coveted title "chief chef" at recent animal
rights festivals. Matt was involved in many animal rights issues, but he
was particularly drawn to the plight of animals in vivisection and as
such, spearheaded NJARA's anti-vivisection campaigns. Please visit
AskUsWhy.com to learn more about this issue.
Matt
brought his own brand of brilliance to NJARA; he was a keen speaker,
articulate, and well spoken. Although he wouldn't agree with this
characterization, our experience with him proved otherwise. We relied on
his valuable input all the time. His presence is seen and felt everywhere.
Matt was also the official NJARA handyman. Through his business,
Painting Plus, many NJARA members and associates hired Matt to do odd jobs
and work on their homes. Most of that work involved building safe
enclosures for rescued animals. His love for his work turned him into an
inventor. He built raised litter boxes for those who had trouble bending
over. He invented many things that made it easier for people to manage
some of the tougher tasks involved with animal housing and rescue.
Matt had very little tolerance for apathy, and this was when his cranky
side became apparent. But, this was "classic Matt." We knew his
heart was always in the right place.
On a personal note, Matt had
an amazing sweet tooth, always on the lookout for new vegan snacks, candy,
and pastries. He loved sports car racing, and enjoyed watching "Buffy" and
reruns of Columbo. Most of all, he loved spending time with Janine and all
their animal companions.
Please enjoy photos of Matt doing what he
did best (teaching compassion for animals) at:
http://www.geocities.com/critterpals/assemblyspeaker.html
The students of Ezra Nola Middle School in
Jersey City have also set up a memorial page for Matt. Please visit
www.geocities.com/javaqueen2002/critterpals2home.html
and click on Memorial at the bottom.
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