Through the phone, their relationship grew and finally ended. Army Spc. Michael Benson Matlock Jr. was talking to his wife at 6:15 p.m. Feb. 19 on the phone about possibly moving to Hawaii for his next service stop.

Later that day, the 21-year-old Annapolis native was injured when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.

He died the next day.

A family member read a letter from Matlock’s wife, Breon, who recounted their final conversation during Thursday’s funeral service at First Christian Community Church in Annapolis.

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Breon recalled an earlier and memorable phone call when they fell asleep after talking for hours, later realizing they never hung up. But nothing matched seeing each other in person.

“I remember the look on your face when I said you’re going to be a daddy,” she wrote about their infant son, Byron. The couple married Dec. 29, 2006.

Matlock reminded her that if they loved each other, everything would work out.

More than 500 family members and friends listened at the service as Matlock was honored with the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, among other awards he had received. In the summer of 2006, he was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

Gov. Martin O’Malley spoke at the funeral of his honorable service and declared all flags in state be flown at half-staff Thursday.

In touching tributes, through song or poetry, Matlock, who graduated from Glen Burnie High School in 2005, was remembered for his love of basketball, hip-hop dancing, rapping, running, working out and even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Most of all, he appreciated time spent with his family.

“He would give to anyone in need if he had it to give and prided himself on being there for his friends,” said Pastor Karen Johnson, while reading his obituary.

Toward the end of the service, Matlock’s sister, Tiffany Matlock, of Baltimore, timidly approached the front of the crowd to read a poem she wrote for her little brother.

“To the world, you are a hero,” she said in her poem. “But to me, you’ve always been.”

She continued to describe how he would tell her silly jokes that always made her smile.

“Stop by any time,” she concluded. “I have a peanut butter and jelly with your name on it.”

jkowalkowski@baltimoreexaminer.com