Matthew Thomas Freddo, 26, of Waterloo Iowa, died on January 8, 2010 at Hartford Hospital, after a 10 month battle with cancer. Matthew was born on July 18, 1983 in Newton, Massachusetts. He graduated from Newton North High School in 1991 and from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, with a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering. He went on to complete a Master's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and then began a position in the Engineering Development Program at John Deere Company, in Waterloo, Iowa. Matt's passion was diesel engine engineering. He had traveled extensively, including attending middle school for 3 months in Auckland, New Zealand and a month abroad as a high school exchange student in Paris. Matt loved downhill skiing, biking and all water sports. He was a member of the University of Michigan's international award-winning human powered submarine team while in graduate school. He was a certified scuba diver. He had visited the Great Barrier Reef, had been on safari in Africa and had rafted the white water rapids of the Zambezi River in Zambia, beginning at the base of Victoria Falls. He had toured much of Europe, had visited Israel and Jordan, and had traveled extensively in Australia, New Zealand and the western US. Matthew leaves behind his parents Drs. Thomas and Janice Freddo, formerly of Newton, Mass., his sister Catherine Alison, his devoted love Melissa Megna and his grandparents, Joseph and Eleanor Freddo of Bolton, CT and Lydia Riley, of New Bedford, MA. He was predeceased by his grandfather, Dr. Norman F. Riley also of New Bedford, MA. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to: The Matthew T. Freddo Engineering Scholarship Fund in care of: Rockville Bank, 341 Broad St., Manchester, CT 06040. Attn: Laurie A. Brooks. The John F. Tierney Funeral Home, Manchester, CT has care of the arrangements. For online condolences please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com.