ShareThisABILENE, Texas - The first thing many friends mentioned about Matthew Phillips was his ever-present smile, often accompanied by a joke or a laugh.
Those were just two of the things he could deliver with enthusiasm from his wheelchair, where osteogenesis imperfect -- brittle bone disease -- kept him for most of his 16-year life and forced him to undergo surgeries for broken bones.
Phillips, a sophomore at the Academy of Technology, Engineering, Math and Science and a Scripps National Spelling Bee regular, died Sunday when, as a friend from Southern Hills Church of Christ said, "His heart just stopped."
Being in a wheelchair never kept Phillips from making close friends, such as Tyler Roberts, a junior classmate in the robotics club.
"Matthew Phillips was a great friend," he said. "His positive attitude, despite all his medical problems, was an encouragement to me and to the entire ATEMS and Southern Hills family. Matt's faith in God was strong, and his love for Christ was always evident at school, church and in life. I will never forget the example that Matt has left behind."
"He had friends who lived life with him, couldn't wait to see him at youth groups, studied with him at school and spent the night at his house," said Ricky Pruitt, high school youth minister at Southern Hills. "He shined bright. That's the part we're going to miss about him."
Besides his smile, Pruitt keenly remembers other things about Phillips: How he always did the best he could with what he had, his excitement about his Christian faith and his readiness to laugh.
"A lot of people would say, 'I think I cracked a rib' from laughing," Pruitt said. "Matt would actually do that."
His disabilities couldn't stop him from excelling in the academic world. He was a regular participant in the Scripps Spelling Bee each year. In 2007, he was the Abilene champion and represented the area in Washington, D.C., where he was interviewed on ESPN.
He was actively involved at ATEMS as a member of the robotics and rocketry clubs and competed in UIL academics events. He earned the first letter jacket in the school's history for his prowess in mathematics.
The jacket hadn't yet arrived when Phillips died. It will probably be presented to his family when it comes.
Phillips also was a member of the first National Honor Society chapter, being inducted along with 30 classmates last fall.
The small, close-knit student body was hit hard by Phillips' unexpected death, said John Martinez, ATEMS director.
"It was very sad. A lot of students were surprised and shocked at the loss of Matt. He was a very special kid on our campus and really loved by everybody."
Monday's scheduled sophomore trip to Angelo State University was postponed, and campus counselors were made available. The robotics team has dedicated this year's project, which was just getting started, in his memory.
"Although Matt wasn't able to do many of the things we did in our robotics club, he excelled at motivating everyone to excellence," said engineering teacher Keith Thomas. "Matt was always trying to find an angle to something to make it more powerful, faster.
"It was Matt who quickly noticed a way for us to score big points" at the BEST Robiotics Competition in Sweetwater, which helped the team finish second, just two points behind the leader.
"Matt will be missed," Thomas said. "We know he is now standing tall and enjoying the good things God has for him."
(Carl Kieke is a reporter for The Abilene Reporter-News in Texas.)
