Friends Of Teen Who Died Suddenly Finish His Eagle Scout Project: Photos

EAST HAMPTON, NY — When Matthew L. Lester, 17, died in January of what was believed to be a suicide, his brokenhearted friends vowed to finish his Eagle Scout project.

And on Sunday, Matthew's project was unveiled, finished with the loving hands of all those who carry his memory in their hearts — who worked tirelessly to keep his dream alive.

On Sunday, those who attended the East Hampton Historical Farm Museum's outdoor Community Dinner on the Lester Homestead grounds had the opportunity to see Matthew's vision realized.

Matthew's passion for bees and clear vision for his pollinator garden inspired the "Matthew Lester Memorial Garden," located exactly where he had planned and brought to beautiful life by his fellow Boy Scouts of Troop 298 and other volunteers.

Prudence and Brian Carabine of the museum hosted the event, where local political officials and Matthew's parents praised Matthew for his spirit of community, both local and global.

The community mourned deeply when Matthew died in January.

The entire East Hampton community was stricken by the loss of a young man long known for his civic and community spirit, long list of achievements and love for the earth.

"This is a terrible tragedy for the community. Our sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to the family and their friends during this difficult time," East Hampton Town Police Chief Michael Sarlo said.

At East Hampton High School, Principal Adam Fine said faced with a student's suicide, there are ways to help young people cope with grief and shock, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Toolkit; counselors were on hand to help the young people handle their pain.

Stunned fellow students and the community struggled to handle their collective grief — and to help Matthew's family through the darkest of times.

A GoFundMe page, "Matthew Lester Memorial Fund," raised $24,955, far surpassing its $5,000 goal.

"We lost a beautiful young boy from our lives and the Springs/East Hampton community," wrote Susan Farrell, who created the page and was Matthew's Springs Cub Scout pack leader when he was a little boy; he stayed active in Boy Scouts throughout his life and was working on his Eagle Scout project.

"Matthew left us far too soon," Farrell wrote. "Witty, smart, fun, and so caring, Matthew was greatly loved."

East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell expressed his heartfelt sympathy: "Matthew Lester appeared at a recent town board meeting to present his Eagle Scout project, and everyone in the room beamed with pride. Now, as an entire community, we are in deep mourning, and our words are not enough to express our sorrow and support for his family.”

Kristy LaMonda said she has known Matthew his entire life.

"We served together as Deacons in the East Hampton First Presbyterian Church," she said. "Even though he was a teen he served as a full member of the board and fulfilled all the responsibilities. Every year he helped at our Community Thanksgiving dinner and many other church functions."

Mary McPartland, whose son Andrew Wilson was good friends with Matthew, wrote a beautiful message on Facebook: "We lost a beautiful boy from our lives today. Witty, so smart, fun, caring. We love you Matthew Lester; we should have told you more. What I loved most was your honesty and how comfortable you were being your unique self. I was going to vote for you when you ran for President! And I knew you had great science ideas to protect the environment you loved. Rest in peace, loyal Scout."

In an interview, McPartland said tears flowed in East Hampton over Matthew's death.

In his short life, Matthew made an impact on many, McPartland said. A passionate advocate for the environment, he was also a dedicated Boy Scout and volunteered time at his church, First Presbyterian Church of East Hampton, she said. A talented young actor, he also performed in "Rent" and "Grease" at the high school, she said.

Her son and the rest of the Boy Scouts, McPartland said, were "devastated. As you can imagine, the boys are a family. They meet every week. They are together for weeks at a time for summer camping, high adventure trips, hundreds and hours of community service. The loss is immense. Matt was one of our children."

LaMonda added, "The Scouts met tonight so that the boys and parents could meet, separately, with counselors. We are all still in shock."

Matthew, whose life was filled with memories of Little League games, camping and a Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride, cared deeply about the natural world around him, she said.

His Eagle Scout project was based on the environment — a flowering garden to attract honeybees. "Matthew was a bee expert," McPartland said.

And now, his fellow Scouts promised to see his Eagle Scout dream realized. "Hey, Matt, I'll miss laughing and joking with you in class and at Scouts every week," McPartland's son Andrew wrote on Facebook. "I know you're looking down on us now. I'd like to finish up your Eagle Scout project. I knew that was something you were really going for and I think with a little help from everyone, we can help you accomplish it. Rest in peace."

Remembering Matthew, McPartland said he was very involved with civics and with honoring veterans, marching in Memorial and Veteran's Day parades in the Scout color guard. "He attended the Veterans Day service for the older Vets, and planted American flags every year at the cemetery on Memorial Day," she said.

"When my son Andrew was working his way through his Scout ranks, he came to Star Scout, which required an environmental project. Andrew chose to construct bat houses for the fields behind Springs School. Matthew led the way with Andrew, first on the project. They gave up lunch time for weeks to work on that. Matthew came to every one of the boys' Eagle projects. He painted, raked, built, sold raffles — whatever was necessary."

Lead photo courtesy GoFundMe

Gallery of photos by Richard Lewin Professional Photography, soniboy@aol.com.

Additional reporting by Richard Lewin