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Matthew William Denney '82

Aug. 6, 1960-May. 30, 2022

Matthew William Denney ’82 died in Melrose, Mass., on May 30, 2022. Born on Aug. 6, 1960, in New Hartford, he grew up in Clinton and attended Clinton Senior High School. Matt initially matriculated at SUNY Oneonta in the fall of 1978, then transferred to Hamilton at the beginning of his junior year, where he majored in mathematics, minored in anthropology, and became a dedicated fan of the Hamilton hockey team.

After graduation, Matt worked at a variety of occupations. Early on, he was on the staff of the A Better Chance (ABC) House, an initiative that offers gifted boys from settings lacking strong educational options the opportunity to prepare for academic success in high school and college. He established a small construction company in Clinton in the spring of 1983, working on a number of projects, including assisting John and Mimi Fehlner, owners of the Clinton Cider Mill, as they worked to expand their operations. On the side, he was a computer consultant for local small businesses that moved to computerized accounting systems, and helped install their software and train his customers. At the same time, he cared for his parents, Professor of Chemistry Donald Denney and Carolyn Denney, in their final years as they each coped with extended illnesses. Carolyn died in 1983 and Donald passed away in 1986.

In 1989, he started with Alan’s Precision Machinery in Oriskany, N.Y., where, as a toolmaker, he maintained equipment, made plastic injection molds, interpreted blueprints, and more. In 1993, he began to work at Nortic Inc., as a toolmaker and manager of the toolroom. The next year, he was promoted to production manager at the company and later became general manager, a post he held until his protracted battle with cancer forced him to retire in 2015. He moved to Melrose, Mass., to live with his sister and to receive treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

“He was always optimistic and had a great sense of humor,” recalled Mimi. According to his sister, he doted on his niece, who is a Hamilton graduate like her mother and uncles.

Matthew W. Denney is survived by his sister, Martha J. Denney ’82, his brother, Michael J. Denney ’79, and his niece, Amelia Elise Denney ’17.

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