Matthew James Ponton

Matthew James Ponton passed away on February 20, 2025 in Rome, OH following a short battle with cancer.

He was born on July 10,1974 in Pensacola, FL to Robert & Suzanne Ponton.  He was their first son, and the oldest of 3 children.  In typical older brother fashion, he was his siblings’ biggest protector throughout their lives but would not hesitate to pick on them himself.

Matt grew up in Virginia Beach and graduated with the First Colonial High School class of 1992.  In 2000, he relocated to Ohio, and in 2001 his life completely changed with the birth of his only daughter – Kelsea Taylor Ponton.  It goes without saying that Kelsea was the love AND light of his life, and nothing in the world made him prouder or happier.

He was always somewhat of a genius when it came to wiring and electronics and worked for many years in car audio installation. He earned the nickname ‘12 Volt God’ and his biggest wiring claim to fame was installing (12) 10” speakers in the back of his Nissan 300Z back in the early 2000s.  Matt eventually became one of the men in brown, and worked for the past 10 years at UPS; his UPS brothers truly became his extended family in Ohio.

Matt’s hobbies included pushing the snooze button on his alarm, wearing t-shirts with risqué and inappropriate sayings, watching Notre Dame football, plowing snow (seriously, he loved doing it), driving his beloved truck ‘Betty White’, fixing everything that Kelsea broke, and destroying Chinese buffets. 

He is survived by his daughter Kelsea & his son-in-law Cooper; his Dad (and biggest hero), Robert; his sister, Kirsten; his brother Ryan, sister-in-law Jacquelyn, & nieces Reagan and Josephine; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; and many friends who counted him as family.  He was preceded in death by his Mom, Suzanne - though she is probably yelling at him for dying in the first place, we have no doubt they are indulging in Chinese food together daily.

The greatest legacy that Matt leaves behind is that he would give the shirt off his back to anybody, and he was always there for anyone whenever they needed something.  You couldn’t ask for a more hardworking, witty and loyal person in your corner.  We will miss his big beautiful smile, the glint in his eye when he was up to no good, his quick sense of humor and his unending compassion; and, of course, the spectacle he would make in public with his t-shirt fashion statements.  

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