Matthew Rooney, Grandson of Pittsburgh Steelers Founder Art Rooney, Dead at 51

Matthew Rooney, the grandson of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, died at the age 51 last Friday.

Rooney reportedly died at his home in the Hamptons. Though a cause of death has not been revealed, his family planned a burial for him this Thursday.

“The Rooney Family is mourning the loss of Matthew,” a Steelers spokesperson said in a statement.

According to the New York Post, Rooney held a minority share in the football empire his grandfather launched before selling a majority of his 16 percent stake back in 2009. An online obituary remembered him as a a lover of the arts:

Matthew attended Gwynedd Mercy Academy as a child and then attended The Hill School in Pottstown, PA, for his high school years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from New York University and his Master’s from Columbia University. Matthew received many writing awards from both universities. He was first and foremost a writer and artist, a lover of literature and passionate about ballet and opera. He was the vice chair of the Allegro Circle for the New York City Ballet and was a member of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Opera of New York.

Matthew spent many years living between New York and Los Angeles before finally settling down in Brooklyn Heights and his beloved “Belle Reve” house in East Hampton.

Matthew’s wit, charm and love of fashion made him one of life’s last true Dandies and an authentic Bon Vivant.

Fashion designer Joshua Kamei described as a “kind, familiar face at the ballet.”

“I was saddened to hear about the passing of Matthew Rooney. I didn’t know him well, but he was always a kind, familiar face at the ballet — someone who had a special way of making others feel welcome and celebrated,” Kamei said in an Instagram post.