Matthew Berkoski of Sag Harbor died on September 19. He was 40.
Born on June 9, 1975, he was raised in Bridgehampton. As a child he spent time playing in the woods behind his house close to the Greenbelt Loop on Crooked Pond. He competed in karate tournaments as a boy and, in his teens, developed a real talent for music. He spent many years in various local bands playing bass guitar. He was also an avid skateboarder from a young age and continued throughout his life to stay connected to his board. He was particularly adept at vert skating, competing nationally and winning the 2001 Vans World Championship of Amateur Skateboarding. He also was involved in the building of skateboard ramps and worked on many skate parks both locally and nationally.
His passion for all things extreme led him to pursue hobbies like scuba diving, surfing and skydiving and eventually culminated in a career as a stunt man. He was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which are now merged. He appeared in movies and on television in, among others, “Inside Man,” “Be Kind Rewind” (as a stunt double for Jack Black) “She Hate Me,” “Mercy,” “30 Rock,” “Mall Cop” and “The Big Wedding” (as a stunt double for the late Robin Williams.)
Mr. Berkoski was a skilled woodworker who took great pride in his craftsmanship. His creativity, ingenuity and attention to detail were respected by many, survivors said.
A memorial fund is being set up through the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt to purchase a bench and name a trail in Mr. Berkoski’s honor, as well as protect and maintain existing trails. Donations may be made at longpondgreenbelt.org; go to the donation page and look for the button to donate to specific projects and in the “indicate project” text box enter “Matt Berkoski Memorial Fund.
A memorial service will be held at the Long Pond Greenbert Nature Preserve on Sunday, October 4, at 2 p.m., convening at the Unitarian Universalist meeting hall on Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike. Participants are asked to wear comfortable shoes and hiking clothes. For those who cannot hike, a slide show will be shown inside the hall.