William Hornyack

William “Matt” Hornyack, 69, died on Friday, August 22, 2025, following a short but courageous battle with mesothelioma.

Matt was born on March 19, 1956, in Sewickley, PA to the late Paul J., Jr. and Virginia Hornyack.

Matt was a graduate of the 1974 class of New Brighton High School and attended Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Tulsa, OK following graduation.

He began his service in the Navy in 1975 and spent at least six months on six aircraft carriers for eight years during peacetime in the Cold War Era. Following a number of jobs in the private sector, he was in the first class of hires for the TSA in Pittsburgh following 9/11. He then moved on to serve at the Butler VA retiring on 9/30/2020 completing a total of 26 years in service to our country. He was a member of the former College Hill United Methodist Church where he and his wife were quite involved with preparing the multimedia portion of the worship services for a number of years.

Matt loved flying rockets, drones and photography. At one time he was also quite active in flying radio-controlled airplanes. He was a member of the National Association of Rocketry and the Academy of Model Aeronautics. He particularly loved taking pictures of waterfalls, which he did with both his cameras and drones.

To know Matt was to love him. He had the most wonderful laugh. You couldn’t be in a bad mood when Matt was around. He made friends wherever he was, whether standing in a grocery store line or with a waitress taking his order in a restaurant. Matt had a distinctive voice that people recognized sometimes after not seeing him for years, when they heard him talking in stores and many other places, would come to find him so they could visit with him. He had a heart of gold and his mission in life was to help others in any way he could.

He was proceeded in death by his parents; his uncle, James Hornyack; and his furbaby, Sadie.

He is survived by his loving wife, Lisa Hornyack; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Paul (Betty), Beaver and Thomas, Ebensburg; two sisters-in-law, Terri Ellinwood, Beaver Falls, and Rikki Karczewski, Chippewa; and one brother-in-law, Mark Ellinwood, Beaver Falls; an aunt, Carol Hornyack, Sandy, OR; 11 nephews and nieces, Paul (Andrea Yanke), Melissa (Geoff) Cipkala, Charleston, Michael (Carly) Mamone III, Alena (Justin Pratt), Ben Swearingen, Jessica (Nick) DeChicko, Kourtney (Matt Abel) McCutcheon, Lauren (Wesley) Libert, Michael and Matthew Karczewski and Kristina Crepp; and 17 great-nephews and nieces, Joseph, Joshua, Dylan, Lucy, Violet and Virginia, Isabella, Luca and Lena, Haleigh, Zachary, Austin and Skylar, Lochlann, and Savanna, Garrett and Wyatt; and numerous cousins.

A memorial visitation will be held Friday, September 5th from 10 AM until the time of service at 11 AM at CORLESS-KUNSELMAN FUNERAL SERVICES, LLC, 3801 4th Avenue, Beaver Falls.

He will be dearly missed and forever loved.