Pittsburgh Steelers Founder’s Grandson Matthew Rooney Dies Aged 51

Matthew Rooney, grandson of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, passed away at his East Hampton home on August 15, 2025, at age 51. The cause of death has not been disclosed. Matthew, son of JoAnn Wallace Rooney and John J. Rooney, who once held a minority stake in the Steelers, was a writer and artist passionate about ballet, opera, and literature, and was involved as vice chair of the New York City Ballet's donor circle and on the board of the Metropolitan Opera. The Rooney family expressed their mourning over his loss, with plans for a mass and burial in Pennsylvania. Matthew earned degrees from New York University and Columbia University and lived between New York and Los Angeles before settling in Brooklyn Heights and East Hampton. His obituary described him as an authentic bon vivant known for his wit, charm, and love of fashion, marking a tragic moment for a family deeply embedded in NFL history.