I miss you, Matt. You would’ve loved Broli.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Welsch,

I am heartbroken to learn of Matt's passing.

I was a graduate student in the same lab as Matt, and I have so many fond memories of Matt. Yes, he was brilliant and had unmatched work ethic. As you may know, Matt worked on an impossible problem -- figuring out how to drug an undruggable protein, which underlies lethal cancers afflicting millions -- and he succeeded.

Thank you for sharing so many photographs of Matt that capture him from your perspective. I have two very young children, and when I see the pictures of baby Matt in a diaper, I instantly know what he means to you. Matt grew out of diapers, but he's still your precious baby. I also find some measure of comfort being able to imagine Matt as happy little boy, frolicking in the sun on perfect summer days, far beyond the reach of any demons.

I pray that there are moments of solace that give you respite.

Vasanthi

Happy Birthday Matt,

Many have said to me, I should be grateful for the time we had together; unfortunately, it's overshadowed by the ruminating thoughts of times we will not share. So Matt, you are still driving me crazy.

Your strong work ethic and outstanding accomplishments as a chemist was impressive; however, I believe your ability to make people smile was your best attribute. Matt, watching you get others laughing was some of my happiest life moments.

MISS YOU SO MUCH - these words are not nearly powerful enough to express my mindset, but for now, it's all I got.

Love you, Dad

Dear Jane and family,

We are so sorry to hear about Matt’s passing. Prayers to you and your family during this difficult time. 

Dear Ernie, Jane, Anthony and Joe, Lorie and I want to express our heartfelt condolences in your loss of Matt. We remember when Matt, Alex and Bryan would go fishing together when we lived in Solon. We will be praying for all of you during this difficult time. Lorie and Ray

Matt,
I still cannot believe you are gone.. Every day passing by your office I see that white board with so many bright memories of you. Those chemistry discussions, drawing out schemes, planning what molecules we could design next, and why one approach is better than another.. Those memories are priceless and those discussions many times reminded me why I like science! You helped me to transition to Kleo when I urgently needed new job and you spent your valuable time bringing me up speed on the projects. I will forever be grateful to you for that.
But now your chair is empty.. Nobody is clicking on those molecules in structural models.. And there is nobody there to answer so many questions, that previously was so easy to answer just by walking into your office.. I wish I knew you better not only as a brilliant chemist.. You are already missed and I am sure we will miss you more and more every day!

Sending my deepest sympathy to you as you remember Matt and hold close all the amazing memories you have. I am sorry I could not be there to celebrate his life amongst his family and friends today, you have been in my thoughts and prayers all week. I remember him in his smallest days tagging along at swim practice and am in awe of all his accomplishments since then. Prayers for comfort and continued support in the coming days.

My sincerest condolences for your loss. I worked with Matt at Kleo for the last 2 years and will always remember the spirited discussions we had at the whiteboard discussing our plans. His intellect shown bright and he was patient in leading us through his process till we could catch up with him. His wry wit always brightened up our meetings. He will not be forgotten as we forge ahead to make his vision for the company a reality.

Ann Marie Rossi
Kleo Pharmaceuticals

The Fellinger clan has been fortunate to be friends with the Welsch’s for a very long time. If you have known Jane and Ernie for a minute or for a lifetime you know how proud they are of their boys.
Today is no different. Matt dedicated his brilliant mind as a chemist to help others. His work will help families for years to come.
That spirit to help others is a Welsch trait that has helped and inspired those around their family to be better people. This spirit will continue to grow from the Welsch’s out.
We hope that Matt will Rest In Peace. 

When I first met Matt on the Woodbury pool deck in 1987, he was just a one year old baby. Through the years I watched him grow into a young boy, beloved by his parents and his brothers, full of energy and enthusiasm. I had no idea how much he'd gone on to accomplish until now, but I'm not surprised, given the family he comes from. Ernie and Jane, you have so much to be proud of in this beautiful man you raised. He will obviously leave a lasting legacy on the world, both for those who knew him and worked with him, and for those who might benefit from his work and scholarship. I am deeply and profoundly sorry for this loss, and I wish I could be there with you today. I am holding you, the boys, and the community in my heart. 

Dear Matt's family and friends,
While I didn't have the chance to know Matt long, his departure has left a tangible void here at Kleo. His wealth of knowledge, kind manner and persistent logic will be dearly missed. 
My thoughts are with you all in this difficult time.

To Matt's Mom, Dad, Brothers, Family and Friends,
My deepest and most heartfelt condolences on your loss. I worked with Matt at Kleo and though I did not know him well I will remember his gentle smile and kind ways. His amazing contributions to Kleo's mission will never be forgotten.
You will all remain in my thoughts and prayers. 

To All Rini's and Welsch's,
Our family has a very heavy heart learning of Matt's untimely and all too soon passing. I have been unbelievably fortunate to have known Ernie since a few days after he arrived in Cleveland (and when he had hair) and Jane just a few years later. I was honored to have attended Ernie & Jane's wedding in 1984 and to welcome Matt in November 1986. Some of my best lifetime memories were in the Welsch living room on Saturday night's designing line-ups with Ernie and changing Matthew's diapers. We suffered with Matt when he had diaper rash or when we didn't feed him the right way. Within no time, Matt learned to walk and loved the indoor Saturday night football game. Those games had to be suspended when we told Matt something may get broken, when in fact, I was more afraid I was going to get broken trying to keep up with him. A few years later was a trip to Cleveland Stadium. Matt was the lucky charm as we caught a foul ball, in the upper deck, section 22. Fast forward a few decades and this little boy had grown up to be an accomplished and respected colleague, friend, professor, researcher and most importantly; a truly genuine great person. Matt graciously donated time to mentor Taylor during her college decision making process, and more recently, Matt has just been a joy just to have a conversation. His inciteful, intuitive and deep thought mixed with a Johnny Carson like quick wit contributed to Matt's special personality which will be missed. Matt and the entire Rini and Welsch Families are lifelong teachers from whom I have learned so much. Thank you so much for all you have done for us. Wishing everyone our best not just this difficult week, but forever. 

Jeff and I are so sorry to hear about Matthew’s passing.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during this sad time.

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your dearly loved family member Matt. May all of your family find comfort and peace at this difficult time.

Matt,
  I was truly saddened to hear of your passing. You were such a kind, caring, gentle person. I really admired your brilliance. I would like to send my condolences to your family. May comfort be found in the beautiful memories of you. RIP

Matt, you will be missed by many. As a successful scientist you have been able to leave your imprint in our minds and hearts.

May you Rest In Peace and your memory be eternal.

Matt inspired me in many ways. His passion for excellence, creativity and brilliance were known to many. He also had very high ethical standards and an amazing sense of humor.

Matt inspired me to believe in the possibilities for designing new therapeutics with the potential to save lives.  We will be forever thankful for the brilliance he shared with us and endeavor to bring his work to life. 

I will miss Matt enormously and never forget was a special person he was.

I want to extend my sincerest condolences to the whole family. I still remember how kind Matt was to show me around Columbia -- I was only 12 or so, and I'm sure he must have had such a busy schedule as he worked towards his PhD, but he took most of an afternoon of out of his day to give me a tour and even walked me through his lab. I was so sorry to hear of his passing and will be thinking of you all during this difficult time. Sending strength and prayers to you all.

We are so sorry for your loss. Wish I knew what words to say but just know that we care and are just a phone call/text away to help in any way we can. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Matt,
You were brilliant, kind, generous, and a genuinely good hearted man. Accepting & never judgmental…I felt I could be my most authentic self with you. Thank you for being there for me. I will never forget the times we shared. You've inspired me to be a better person each day. I will miss you so much. RIP❤️

Ernie and family, my condolences for your loss. May family, friends and happy memories sustain you.