Schuylkill County sheriff's deputy loses battle with cancer

Amy Marchiano, Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.
·2 min read

Jan. 10—POTTSVILLE — A Schuylkill County sheriff's deputy has lost his battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Matthew D. Dillman, 43, of Ringtown, died Sunday at home, leaving behind a wife, Brandy, a daughter, Kennedy, and other family.

Sheriff Joseph G. Groody said he was on his way to visit Dillman on Sunday when he learned of his death through a text message.

"He's going to be greatly missed by my office. He was an excellent deputy," Groody said Monday.

"You couldn't ask for a better guy to work with," he added, noting that he trained Dillman as an officer in the Ashland police department.

Dillman had been a part-time deputy since February 2018.

In October 2021, he learned he had cancer and that it had metastasized. He had been taking chemotherapy that often made him exhausted.

Groody said employees in the sheriff's office had prayed and hoped Dillman would beat the cancer.

As a tribute, Groody on Monday placed a department hat and coat, a framed department patch and a photo of Dillman on a chair outside the office.

Chief Deputy Brian Tobin is among those feeling the loss of a colleague.

"It's hard for all of us up here," he said Monday.

Tobin called Dillman "a great co-worker" who will be missed by everyone in the office.

Dillman said in an interview in November he would continue to fight as hard as he could.

"I absolutely refuse to have this dictate my life," he said.

A fundraiser by sheriff's office employees from Oct. 16 to Dec. 16 raised about $2,500 for expenses associated with Dillman's weekly out-of-state drives for chemotherapy. North Schuylkill Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 25, of which Dillman was president, also started a fundraiser last week for his medical expenses, Tobin said. T-shirts and sweatshirts are for sale at dillman2023.itemorder.com.

Any money remaining will go to his daughter's education fund c/o Union National Bank, 1 N. Oak St., P.O. Box 367, Mount Carmel, PA 17851.

Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023