Obituary of Matthew Herbert Raible

October 21, 2019

Matthew Herbert Raible
May 16, 1948 – October 21, 2019

Matthew was born and raised in Ridgewood, New York. He was a talented accordionist and played the oboe in his high school band. After graduating Brooklyn Technical High School in June 1966 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp. Besides his military training, he was taught and became fluent in Vietnamese. Subsequently he was shipped off to Viet Nam where he was severely injured in combat in May 1968, eleven days after his twentieth birthday. He spent ten years recuperating at the Bronx Veterans Hospital where he learned to drive and live independently. He went on to find an apartment in Flushing, Queens, where he lived until he died. He lived a full life as a quadriplegic graduating from St. John's University cum laude and then obtaining a position with the Social Security Administration where he worked as a Benefits Authorizer for eighteen years. He retired after his twenty years of combined military service and government employment. He unfortunately spent his retirement years fighting multiple myeloma which eventually took his life. He was, as he liked to say, "never bored."

He was a deeply religious man who found great comfort in his faith. He loved and cared for his three service dogs, Agatha, Tenny and Jason. During his lifetime he traveled to Israel and England as well as throughout the United States where he attended reunions with his Marine Corp brothers. Always up for a challenge he participated in handicapped events like downhill skiing and scuba diving. Not many people knew he was also a gifted artist. He was stubborn, strong-willed and fought until his last dying breath to live life his way.

He is survived by his sister, Siegrid Raible, and his service dog, Jason.

In lieu of flowers donations in his memory should be made to Canine Companions for Independence, Northeast Region, 286 Middle Island Road, Medford, NY 11763.

Semper fi.

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