Matthew John Mahoney, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend, passed away on May 24, 2025, at the age of 49. He was born on November 26, 1975, in Salina, Kansas, and was the son of Garry and Peg Mahoney.
Matt grew up in Wichita, Kansas. From a young age, he enjoyed learning about engines and woodworking from his dad, spending time with his loyal dog, Maddie, and masterfully annoying his two sisters. Many weekends were spent with trips to Dorrance and Wilson visiting his grandparents. His childhood provided many lifelong memories made on the farm, working on the Avery tractor and riding his favorite horse, Copper. The family loved going to Wilson Lake, spending time on their purple dock, boating, and jumping off the cliffs. It was there that Matt developed his love for lake life. Matt made good mischief (mostly) with boys who grew into his lifelong friends. They kept their mother on her toes with practical jokes, much to her chagrin.
Matt graduated from Wichita Southeast High School in 1994. He continued his education at Kansas State University receiving his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1999. After college, Matt moved to Lawrence and started his first job. The job itself was insignificant, but the important part is, this is the town where he met his future wife. He then began his career at Honeywell Aerospace where he worked until 2014 before joining Peterson Manufacturing where he became the Director of Purchasing. Known for his friendly demeanor and pragmatic approach, Matt was respected and well-liked by his colleagues.
On June 19, 2004, Matt married Sara Pfannenstiel at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Wilson, Kansas. Their wedding reception and dance at the Opera House was a joyful beginning to a life filled with adventure, laughter and love. Before welcoming their children Maeve in 2012 and Liam in 2015, Matt and Sara shared a passion for travel and some of their most favorite vacations included Italy, Greece, France, and Jamaica.
Matt had a witty sense of humor, a big laugh, and an easy ability to develop lasting friendships. He loved 4th of July fireworks, Red Hot Chili Peppers concerts, Royals games, hosting Chiefs Super Bowl parties, and impromptu happy hour gatherings with neighbors. His favorite summer days were spent boating and waterskiing on the lake with his family, and he especially loved spending the day in Manhattan for K-State tailgating and football games with family and friends.
Most of all, Matt was a devoted and fun-loving dad to Maeve and Liam. He always made time to play catch in the backyard, get the go-kart up and running, and take the Model A out for a family drive. He was there to cheer the kids on at their sporting and school events and attended Boy Scout and Girl Scout camp days. Like most of his family, Matt showed his love through making food such as homemade pancakes on the weekends and homemade vanilla ice cream for birthday parties. He taught the kids how to water ski, mow the yard, build Pinewood Derby cars, do household fix-it projects, and wrap up the backyard trees in Christmas lights. Matt never stopped giving his time and energy for his family. His final labor of love was building a backyard raised garden with his children, now flourishing with vegetables, a lasting gift to his family.
Matt is survived by his loving wife, Sara; their children Maeve and Liam; his mother Peg; sisters Anne and Erin; mother-in-law Diana; brother-in-law Derek; brother and sister-in-law Kevin and Tanda; and nieces and nephews Jaxson, Lexi, Nicolas, Ana Lucia, Blake and
Collin. Matt was preceded in death by his father Garry Mahoney and father-in-law Kenny Pfannenstiel.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2025, at 10:30AM at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Wilson, KS. Inurnment will follow in the Wilson City Cemetery.
A memorial has been established to support Maeve and Liam’s future education. Contributions in Matt’s honor may be made payable to the Maeve and Liam Memorial Fund and mailed to Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, P.O. Box 987, Wilson, KS 67490. Your generosity will help carry Matt’s love forward through his children’s futures. May his memory be a lasting gift to us all. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com