Elizabethtown College held a celebration of life for Dr. Matthew Telleen on Sept. 3 to allow the community to show how much they appreciated him. Students, faculty and his family and friends took turns sharing their happy memories of him and reminisced on how impactful he was to the community.

Telleen was the Provost and Academic Affairs Vice President for two years before he sadly lost his battle with cancer this July. He was a member of the Etown community since 2012 and held a number of different positions throughout his time here. Before becoming the provost and academic affairs VP, he was an associate professor of both communications and legal studies and president of faculty assembly. He also taught courses in philosophy, business and English. While not at work, Telleen enjoyed sports and comedy; he would always light up the room with a joke.

As a leader, Telleen was kind, loving and understanding. Every interaction he had with others made them feel valued, inside of work and out. In return, a trove of people he influenced showed up to honor him.

Before the memorial started, faculty, students, friends and family were all invited to write a favorite memory or words of love and remembrance on cards in the lobby; the cards would be placed in a memory box and given to the Telleen family as a sweet tribute. After partaking, each guest filed into the auditorium. As everyone was sitting, pictures of Telleen and loving quotes about him alternated on the screen. These acts were all signs that Telleen left a lasting impact on everyone he interacted with.

To officially open the service, music faculty adjunct Michael Weir performed “Love is Everywhere (Beware)” by Wilco, one of Telleen’s favorite bands. The lyrics were especially meaningful during the memorial, “Right now, right now / Love is everywhere.” Love really was everywhere to be seen in the auditorium.

After the song, President Elizabeth Rider opened the ceremony. She specifically focused on how patient he was during senior team meetings and his love for his students, “Matt brought a calmness to the senior team.”

When Rider was done with her talk, a compilation full of videos and pictures of Telleen played, then there was a prayer held for not only Telleen, but the audience as well.

Once “Amen” echoed through the chapel, Telleen’s parents, Pam and Bill Telleen, took the stage. They had many loving words for their son, and also thanked various people for being there for him during his final months. They held a celebration of life in Minneapolis and shared how cared for they felt from not only the turnout, but the messages they received as well.

In the next video that played, Executive Assistant to Provost and VP for Academic Affairs Jill Moore shared the story of her husband having a stroke. She had to tell Telleen that she would not be in the office because of it, and instead of being upset with her, he was understanding. 

“Even at his worst time, he was concerned about me and my husband at the same time,” Moore said.

The service continued to flow, and Brianna Titi, Center for Community and Civic Engagement (CCCE) program manager and former student opened up about her long relationship with Telleen. First, she had him as a professor, then a coworker. When she felt isolated at school, “Dr. Telleen changed that.”

Between the rest of the speakers and the ones mentioned above, a couple of themes arose. Telleen was caring, funny and especially loved by his community. Whether that be faculty, students or students who have now become faculty, every relationship that he had was well-nourished and cared for. He had a genuine curiosity towards each person he interacted with, and he made everyone feel welcome. 

“Matt leaves an example worth carrying forward,” Leanna Whetstone, secretary of the Board of Trustees, said.

At the very end of the ceremony, Dr. Justin Badgerow and Weir performed “On and On and On” by Wilco. As the song progressed, the pictures and quotes from the beginning came back onto the screen, bringing the ceremony full circle. Telleen was well loved, and every aspect of his celebration of life ceremony reflected that. His memory will continue to live on through the connections he made.