Services for James Matula – the 17-year-old Middlesex High School baseball player who died on November 22 as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash in North Jersey a week earlier – have been announced.
There will be a visitation at Our Lady of Mount Virgin Roman Catholic Church on Harris Avenue from 4-8 pm, with a funeral mass there the next day at 10 am. He’ll be laid to rest immediately following the mass, at Hillside Cemetery at 1401 Woodland Avenue in in Scotch Plains.
The services were announced in an obituary posted by McCriskin Funeral Home.
Matula – who was born in Brooklyn – grew up in Middlesex and was a key member of the 2025 Group 1 state championship baseball team.
“James lived life with a passion that was unmistakable,” the obit said. “Determined, adventurous, and always on the move, he embraced every opportunity—eager to try new things, go new places, and experience life fully. He was excited for the future and had even begun considering service in the United States Air Force.
“James deeply loved his family, his friends, and his teammates. He showed kindness to strangers, cared genuinely for others, and made everyone feel valued. People often told his family that James was special—because he was. He carried a heart of gold and radiated love wherever he went.
“He enjoyed baseball, hunting, fishing, camping, snowboarding, golf, music, dirt bikes, and, most recently, lifting at the gym.”
