Matthew C. Schoenecker died attempting to rescue Valentino Creus from drowning, Soda Springs, California, June 18, 2025. Creus, 59, jumped into the North Fork American River from a 20-foot cliff across from a 50-foot waterfall and began to struggle in cold, turbulent water. He and five others, including Schoenecker, 50, biomedical engineer, were members of a group hiking in remote wilderness. Schoenecker and another hiker initially had jumped in from the cliff and were climbing out when Creus jumped in by himself, out of their line of sight, and cried out for help. Another hiker, who was among the group that remained near the cliff, peered down over the edge and told the others that Creus needed help. Schoenecker, who had climbed back up to the cliff, immediately jumped in again, despite having experienced the strong current. The other hiker then took off his shoes and also jumped in. The others did not see them again. Three days later, a diver recovered the bodies of all three men underwater near the waterfall. They had drowned.
2025-0000233-10570Obituary
Matthew Charles Schoenecker, 50, of New York, NY, passed away on June 18, 2025, due to drowning while trying to save a friend during a hike in Rattlesnake Falls near Lake Tahoe, California. He was the beloved son of Linda (Bruce) Grasso and David J. (Rebecca) Schoenecker. He is preceded in death by his grandparents Jack and Pat Schoenecker and Connie and Carl Weber, as well as his uncle John Schoenecker. He is survived by his brother David J. Schoenecker II and sister Noël (Scott) Blaszczyk, by numerous other relatives, including aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins, and by his countless friends from over the years. All of them will greatly miss him.
Matt was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 30, 1974, the youngest of three children. He graduated as class valedictorian from Wauwatosa West High School in 1993. He also won the 1993 Wisconsin High School State Diving Championship, while also playing on the school football team.
He studied electrical engineering at University of Wisconsin at Madison, and dove for the diving team, graduating in 1998. He obtained a Master’s degree, also in electric engineering, at Marquette University in 2001. After additional graduate studies at Columbia University in New York, he obtained a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering in 2010 at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focused on improving cochlear implants, electronic medical devices that can help people with severe hearing loss regain the ability to hear.
From 2010 until his death he served in several administrative positions for the Catholic Prelature Opus Dei in Los Angeles (2010-2024) and at the national headquarters in New York (2024-2025), where he oversaw the programs for married men. In 2011 he became the director of Tilden Study Center in Los Angeles, running academic and character development programs as well as mentoring hundreds of high school and college students whom he deeply impacted. He loved advising these young men and taking them on hikes and camping trips. They loved Matt for his fun-loving playful attitude.
Matt was a joyful person. He served others tirelessly with generous self-giving and would share his knowledge and his humor in any situation. He was strong and serene, a support to those around him, both family and friends. He had a passion for helping people, especially the many young men whose formation he oversaw during his years at Tilden. He was a wonderful listener, giving his full attention to the person he talked to. His humility, which hid a keen intellect, led him to always seek out others’ opinion and advice. Even though he was far away from his immediate family, he was a wonderful communicator who kept in touch with his family despite his challenging work. He was known for being very intentional in everything he did.
Perhaps Matt’s most defining traits were his infinite patience and his infectious cheerfulness, which led him to see the humorous side of any situation. He loved the outdoors and he enjoyed hiking and backpacking with friends.
Matt lived his Catholic faith deeply and consistently. He died the way he lived: trying to help someone else in an act of selfless courage.