Albert Edward Matyasovsky

Albert Edward Matyasovsky, Jr., 76, of Houtzdale, Pennsylvania, passed away on March 16, 2025. He was born on January 21, 1949 in Clairton, Pennsylvania to Albert and Edith Matyasovsky.

Albert was a 1967 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School. He attended Lock Haven University. On August 28, 1971, he married Sharon Lantz and the two taught at Seaford High School in Delaware before relocating to Houtzdale, Pennsylvania to build a home and raise a family.

Albert found joy in creating countless cherished memories with family and friends. A devoted father, husband, grandfather, and friend, Albert dedicated his life to his family, always leading with kindness, wisdom, humor, and a generous heart. Albert is survived by his wife, Sharon, their three children Michael Matyasovsky (Jennifer), Allison Thornburg (Kevin), and Jennifer Binnie (Edward), five grandchildren, Wyatt, Adalynn, Stella, Chloe, and Jack, his sister, Rita Matyasovsky Thompson, his brother, Robert Matyasovsky, and his sister-in-law, Carla Matyasovsky.  

Albert dedicated over thirty years to Penn State University, serving as head of the university’s waste management and recycling programs. He took immense pride in his work, helping implement sustainability initiatives such as Trash to Treasure and PSU football game day “blue bag” recycling. Under his leadership, Penn State’s recycling programs obtained national recognition. During his career, Albert received Centre County United Way’s Leon R. Kneebone Award for Extraordinary Volunteerism, the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence, and the National Association of Leadership Programs Distinguished Leadership Award. Albert was honored to be an active member in the community as well, serving on the board of CentrePeace, Centre County United Way, and Philipsburg Hospital. He was also recognized at Penn State with the 100 Faces of Penn State, the Staff Excellence Award,  the Sy Barash Award for Outstanding Community Volunteering, and was an honorary alumni award winner.

While the list of Albert’s achievements is long, his greatest gift was the way he championed and supported all he knew. He had an unwavering belief in others and an innate ability to lift people up. He will be remembered for his support, warmth, endless stories, and the profound impact he had on the lives of those around him. He was a true believer in the philosophy “Try to leave this world a little better than you found it”- and he sure did. 

A celebration of Albert’s life will be held on Friday, April 4th at Koch Funeral Home in State College. Visitation will take place from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. A service will follow at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Centre County United Way in his memory. Local arrangements were under the direction of the McDonald-Aeberli Funeral Home, Inc. 238 Crowe Ave. Mars, PA and condolences may be placed at www.mcdonald-aeberli.com.