Staff Sgt. Matthew L. Mackey, 33, of Grinnell, died on Wednesday, July 28, 2010, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines from injuries he received in a motorcycle accident. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 3, at the Grinnell Christian Church in Grinnell with the Rev. Danny Williams and Chaplain Gary Selof officiating. Burial with full military rites will follow at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. Friends may call at the Smith Funeral Home from noon to 8 p.m., on Monday, Aug. 2, with the family present from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday evening. Memorials may be directed to the Matthew L. Mackey Memorial Fund to benefit his children. Memories and condolences may be shared with the Mackey family at www.smithfh.com. Matt was born on Dec. 17, 1976, to Lyndon and Diane Williams Mackey, in Midland, Texas. He graduated with the class of 1995 from Coahoma High School in Coahoma, Texas. Eighteen days later, he started his career in the military on June 6, 1995, in El Paso, Texas, by joining the U.S. Marine Corps and later the Army National Guard. On April 16, 1998, he married Kaanan Anderson in Jacksonville, N.C. Matt served in Operation Enduring Freedom/Noble Eagle in 2004 and Operation Iraqi Freedom from October 2008 to October 2009. He was currently taking classes at Indian Hills Community College for aviation. He held a passion for flying and for his motorcycles. He enjoyed playing rugby, fishing, camping and gardening. Matt’s greatest love was for his family, especially his children. He is survived by his wife of 12 years, Kaanan Mackey, of Grinnell; five children, Alexis, Jonathan, Chloe, Aiden and Hana, all of Grinnell; his parents, Lyndon and Diane Mackey, of Sterling, Colo.; one brother, Michael (Danielle) Mackey, of Scotts Bluff, Neb.; two sisters, Morgan (Kimo) Everett, of Grinnell, and Sarah (Jeff) Berryhill, of Pineville, Mo.; maternal grandmother, Geneva Williams, of Graham, Texas; and several nieces, nephews, cousins, dear friends, and his brothers- and sisters-in-arms. Matt was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Leeroy Williams; his paternal grandparents, Orval and Lula Mackey; and his fallen brothers and sisters.