Matthew Lawrence "Matt" Fichtenbaum, of Chelmsford, died on May 20, 2022, leaving wife Judy, daughter Rachel, and daughter-in-law Sarah. Matt was born on May 2, 1945 in Swannanoa, North Carolina, where his parents, Nathan and Gladys (Freedman – also spelled Friedman) Fichtenbaum, were temporarily on the Army Base. Known professionally as Nathaniel and Gladys Frey, Matt's parents were involved with the New York theater scene. Soon after Matt's birth, the family returned to New York City, where Matt was educated through high school. He attended elementary school at the Walden School, transferred to public school for an accelerated junior high program, and graduated from Stuyvesant. After graduation, he escaped New York for Boston, which he found to be a much more manageable-sized city. He studied at MIT, where – in his words – he pursued his from-age-three interest in things electrical into bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering. While there wasn't yet a formal discipline called "computer science," some of his grad school courses were early versions of what would turn into that discipline. Outside of classes, he enjoyed being a member of the university's radio station technical staff. During college, he was a coop at General Radio (GedRad) in Concord, and in 1967, he began his career there, developing computer-controlled testing systems. Also in 1967, he met Judith "Judy" Lynn Hargreaves, a Simmons graduate, at the wedding of friends, and they married May 19, 1968 in Concord, Massachusetts. Soon after, they bought a house in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, where they lived for the rest of Matt's life. Matt carried a deep intuitive understanding of languages, exploring Swedish, Mandarin, and C++. In 1976, Matt and Judy had an opportunity to live their interest in languages. They spent their junior year abroad (ten years late) in Linköping, Sweden, where he taught computer science in a relatively new department at the University. He stated that his Swedish improved during "fika" (coffee break) when there were multiple conversations happening! At the time, Sweden was undergoing a folk music revival. Matt signed up for a course to learn to first build and then play the nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle), a traditional Swedish instrument. His nyckelharpa followed him back to Chelmsford, and he frequently played for Scandinavian dances and at music festivals in Boston and around the country. He soon added fiddle to his repertoire, and later in life enjoyed studying classical violin. In 1982, Matt and Judy's daughter Rachel was born. Matt enjoyed sharing his love of words and numbers with Rachel. He told excellent bedtime stories, shared fun math problems, and gently assisted with difficult homework. He not only built her a dollhouse, but also wrote tiny books for her dollhouse people. As she grew up, he enjoyed relating to her as an adult. Matt was well known for his sense of humor. He constantly played with language and deserved his reputation as a master punster. He was always on the lookout for alternative interpretations and ways to put a funny twist on language. He would often remind his friends that "Rome wasn't burnt in a day." His wordplay was not limited to English. He might greet you, "Bon chien" – the French for "good dog" – which sounds like the Swedish "God dag" meaning good morning. When his daughter turned 28, he gave her a Hershey Bar, because the number 28 in Chinese sounds like "er-shi-ba." When making a particularly clever joke, he would often turn pink trying not to laugh before the joke's recipient did. After leaving GenRad in 1995, Matt worked for a number of different companies doing a variety of related work, most recently for the Acacia group at Cisco in Maynard. He enjoyed getting to solve interesting problems and work with brilliant colleagues, and never opted for retirement; for the last years of his career, he chose part-time work to allow time for him and Judy to explore their interest in music and travel. They traveled to China, Australia, Italy, Spain, and Greece, as well as trips back to Sweden to see friends and attend folk music camps. Matt loved long walks. He always took a lunchtime walk at work, and on weekends would travel to Concord Center, Lexington Center, Great Meadows, or the Battle Road trail for a mid-day walk with nice scenery. He enjoyed the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail when it opened near his home. During the pandemic, Matt and Judy took many walks together in their neighborhood. For the last seven years of his life, Matt was treated for multiple myeloma by Dr. Weitzman, Nurse Christine, and the rest of the competent and compassionate MGH/Emerson oncology staff, as well as the Nashoba Nursing Service & Hospice staff. At the end, Matt enjoyed hearing from his friends and colleagues, and reflecting on all the people he had collected along the way. He was particularly touched by people he had been able to help. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Matt's life during a memorial gathering at Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord Center, on Friday, June 3rd from 5 to 7 pm. All attendees will be required to wear masks at the family's request. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Massachusetts General Hospital, Multiple Myeloma Research Fund, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114 or to an organization of your choice. Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.