Matthew Hollander passed away unexpectedly on March 14, 2008. He was a freshman at Temple University, majoring in mathematics. His family was determined that good would come out of their personal tragedy, and worked diligently to honor his memory by establishing two endowed funds at Temple University: The Matthew Hollander Memorial Award Fund for Students and The Matthew Hollander Award Fund for Outstanding Counselors. 

His parents, Theresa and Orin Hollander said of Matthew, “All his life he displayed a lot of compassion.” They hope to, “…keep his memory alive by allowing others to overcome severe obstacles and go on to live happy, productive, and worthwhile lives.” Because of the compassion Matthew demonstrated toward others, his family decided that the student fund would provide direct financial aid to students with disabilities who display resilience and persistence in the face of adversity. 

In 2015, the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation made a generous pledge to expand the existing fund in Matthew’s name, to ensure that more students will benefit from scholarships now and into the future. Their contribution established the Matthew Hollander/Charlotte W. Newcombe Endowed Scholarship.