Matthew Paul Poppel

Matthew (Matt) P. Poppel, 61, of Boston, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 after suffering a medical emergency in a one-vehicle accident the previous week. He is survived by his mother, Roberta Carol of Marlborough, Massachusetts and his loving partner, Stephanie Kiefer, with whom he resided. Matt is also survived by his father, Norman Poppel, of Flemington, New Jersey; a sister, Julia Bell and husband James, of Flemington, New Jersey; a half-brother Neil Poppel, of Delray Beach, Florida; his aunts, Mary Theresa (Terry) Mercer of Toms River, New Jersey and Julia Lohner, of Avon, Connecticut; a niece, Kimberly Bell; and nephew Bryan Bell and wife, Jill; together with a number of cousins. Matt also leaves behind his former partner, Christa von der Luft, of Boston, Massachusetts. He is predeceased by his brother, Adam David Poppel, formerly of Flemington, New Jersey.

In addition to family, Matt leaves behind a wealth of lifelong friends, colleagues and neighbors, and his best (four-legged) friend, Harry, all of whom have been touched by his overwhelming compassion, humor, intelligence and generosity. He will be profoundly missed by all who knew him.

Matt was born May 31, 1959, Rahway, New Jersey and initially moved to the Boston area in the late 1970s, where he graduated from Boston University, magna cum laude, in 1980. Upon graduation, Matt moved to Washington D.C., where he worked as a legislative assistant for the Hon. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), who was then serving on the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his tenure on the Hill, Matt also attended law school at Georgetown University Law Center, from which he received his Juris Doctor in 1984, magna cum laude.

He returned to the Boston area in 1984, where he practiced law at Nutter, McClennen & Fish in the litigation department until 1993, when he opened his own practice in downtown Boston. Since that time, Matt has continued his legal career specializing in commercial, business and employment disputes at the Law Office of Matthew Poppel, on the Boston waterfront.

In addition to his professional life, Matt was an outdoor enthusiast, having spent many years windsurfing on the Cape and at various other international windsurfing destinations, as well as cycling. On the bike, Matt loved nothing more than the challenge of a good hard climb. In addition to outdoor endeavors, Matt was a devoted yogi and helped bring many friends into the practice and mindfulness of the yoga practice. In the recent past, Matt’s greatest joy was that of spending time with his mother, Roberta, who had moved to Massachusetts in 2020, and striving to ensure that her later years were filled with warmth, love, laughter, adventures and happiness.

Friends may pay respects to Matt on Saturday, April 3, 2021, on the south lawn of the Lewis Wharf building, 28 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, from 3-5 p.m. A full memorial service will be scheduled in the coming months when family and friends may gather to fully celebrate his life without concerns of COVID transmission.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Little Brothers-Friends of the Elderly Boston Chapter, a network of non-profit volunteer-based organization committed to relieving isolation among the elderly and providing friendship and celebration of life to elderly persons, to support Matt’s passion for ensuring that older generations should always know love and friendship.

J.S. Waterman-Langone Chapel, 580 Commercial St., Boston, MA 02109 is entrusted with his arrangements. For more information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.watermanboston.com