Matt Vecere was among victims on an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed Sunday. Photo courtesy of IQAir.

A Long Beach man was among 157 people killed on an Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed Sunday shortly after take-off.

Matt Vecere of Long Beach was aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, his company announced on Twitter late Monday.

“Matt was a great writer and an avid surfer with a passion for helping others,” the company, IQAir said, in the Tweet.

 

The La Mirada company said in a statement on its website that Vecere “was at home helping others,” and that he had traveled to Haiti following the devastating earthquake of 2010.

“We will miss his laugh, his wit, his sense of humor, but most of all, the kinship and friendship that he brought to everything he did,” the air quality company said. “Our heart is with Matt’s family and friends, as well as the loved ones of all who lost their lives in this horrible tragedy.”

At IQAir, Vecere was a writer who also worked to improve conditions in countries without access to air quality monitoring, KABC reported. The company had sent Vecere to represent them at the United Nations Environment Assembly on Friday morning and he left Friday night, the company said.

Vecere was originally from New Jersey, but had lived in Southern California for more than 12 years, according to a statement from his mom.

“Matt was passionate about the environment, civil rights, social and environmental justice, and advocating for those less fortunate,” his mother Donna Vecere said in a statement to news outlets. “His passion turned to direct action, rolling up his sleeves to serve causes where he could make a tangible difference.”

Vecere volunteered with charities, community events and in relief efforts after natural disasters, his mother said. He was particularly passionate about Haiti, making several trips to the Caribbean island after the 2010 earthquake and hurricanes.  In 2015, he helped create a GoFundMe to build an orphanage and school in Haiti.

People have started to donate to the campaign again since hearing of Vecere’s death.

“Let’s get this going for Matt and the people in need that he set out to help,” said one donor, Daniel Tolson on the page.

The passengers aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi were were from 35 nations, the airline said, with the greatest share from Kenya.

Eight people from America were killed. Others who have been identified are brothers Melvin and Bennett Riffel of Redding.