Miss you, Matt! Just last week Tim and I were talking about great memories we had with you. We always had good times together!

Matt, I miss you man, and my thoughts go to you often. Lots has changed in the almost 4 years since you left. I cant even imagine how huge you'd be in your field by now. You were a unique genius, the funniest bro, and you were right about about a lot of things that came to be.. "its all about streaming, points and rewards" you would say.
I hope you somehow know how right you were, how much we miss you, and that it's amazing wherever you and your father are...see you again someday.

Dear Matt's Family & Friends: I had the pleasure and privilege of sharing Matt's time on this earth; we played golf together (Matt shot an 87, and I an 89 - as a result I bought the beers), we hoisted a few brews, he shared the warm hospitality of his home with me, when I visited him and Beth during July 2015. Alice & I showed him a little bit of New England during Feb. 2016. Truly a gentleman, a professional, a patriot (let me clarify, not the NE Patriots, always the SeaHawks fan), who willingly served his Country & a warm, loving, humble human being haling from a great Montana Family. Matt was "Salt of the Earth." A little bird whispered in my ear the other day that Matt and David Bowie are jamming on Mars! Check out this link, Matt's playin' lead guitar in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMZ0-nJ0Ipo. Lastly, Matt is the Man, the Myth, the Legend, he walked on water, and was the best thing since sliced bread in our eyes! Just sayin'! Hoist one this weekend and toast to Matt! I miss him!

Happy Birthday Matt, still think of you often. Boom selecta! ❤️

Dear Friends of Matt - My mom and dad wanted to reach out and say thank you for all the love and prayers and good thoughts. They really appreciate it and wanted you to know. We all miss him so much and are so grateful for his presence in our lives. We love you all. xo April

I hope everyone has been taking care and been comforted by their fond memories with you Matt and the little reminders of your spirit since passing. We miss you so much and time is no remedy, a sincere hope is that your unique and awesome spirit is peacefully carrying on. To his loved ones whom he loved so strongly, I hope his love comforts you all in your deepest moments of nostalgia. A big hug to you all and to Matt <3

Miss you, Matt. Still think about you very often. Hope you are laughing and rocking and having a good time in heaven right now bro. Still brings tears to my eyes that you are gone. I've still got the 'hockey googles', got new lenses in them and actually think about you ever time I put them on. haha! How funny is that?!

Dear Matt's Family & Friends:

I had the pleasure and privilege of sharing Matt's time on this earth; we played golf together, we hoisted a few brews, he shared the warm hospitality of his home with me when I visited him and Beth during July 2015. Alice & I showed him a little bit of New England during Feb. 2016. Truly a gentleman, a professional, a patriot (let me clarify, not the NE Patriots, always the SeaHawks fan), who willingly served his Country & a warm, loving, humble human being. Matt was "Salt of the Earth." A little bird whispered in my ear the other day that Matt and David Bowie are jamming on Mars! Check out this link, Matt's playin' lead guitar in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMZ0-nJ0Ipo

Lastly, Matt is the Man, the Myth, the Legend, he walked on water, and was the best thing since sliced bread in our eyes! Just sayin'!

Mark and I met Matt when we went to Yokota AFB to visit our son Sebastian. Matt was a gentle kind soul and he and Sebastian became great friends. They hiked Mt. Fuji a couple of times and took a holiday to Okinawa. We went out for Karaoki on night with the AF gang. Our hearts were saddened to hear of his passing. I hope he was greeted by a band of butterflies that peacefully escorted him through a verdant forest to the light. Love, Luisa and Mark from Chico

Yoli and Family - I know words cannot really help you right now, but please know how very much your loss is being felt. Matt seemed like such an inspiring soul that touched many. Godspeed.....

Matt was such a genuine and kind soul. I remember him always smiling and reaching his goals. One of my fondest memories of Matt was playing ping-pong with him at his parents house in Helena. He was such a talented young man. My warmest regards and prayers are with the Fitzsimmons family, and everyone that was lucky enough to meet this wonderful man. God speed.

"May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

I have a lot I could talk about but I just miss my friend. I always will call, check up on and be there no matter how hard it gets. That does not end here for you, thanks for everything....... Hail Mary full of grace.......

Many years ago I was Matt's baseball coach. He was a pleasure to have on the team and to coach. He was a pitcher and a first baseman and did very well at both positions and at bat. We had a pretty good team that year, in large part due to Matt's contributions. For many years I kept up on his life through his mom who worked at the Capital near the office I was in at the time. I was just so sorry to hear about Matt now and send my heartfelt sympathies on to his mom and dad and other family members and friends. I will always remember that great 13 year old ball player. I had so much fun watching him play and being a small part of his life for that short time. Bob Andersen

I was at Foster with Matt in 2008-2009. We had many good times together, especially on the Ave on Thursday nights. Even though it's been a long time since we spent time together, I can easily remember his presence and how he made others feel when around him.

Watching Matt's mom's face and eyes brighten up so when she talked about Matt, or any of her kids and grandkids, always put a smile on my face. I've had the pleasure to hear fun stories about Matt throughout the 15 years I've worked with Matt's mom.

My heart aches for all of you. My prayers go out to all of you ~

I first met Matt through a sketch comedy workshop I run a few times a year - we write, edit, rehearse and perform a brand new sketch comedy show over a weekend (Kayla posted the YouTube link to the show that arose from our weekend together).

Matt struck me as a funny, kind guy who was just the type of performer you want in a group like that - he was talented but humble, and would gladly take on silly roles that might make other performers uncomfortable. You could tell he did a lot of improv, and knew how to take care of his fellow performers on stage.

A couple months before he passed away, I ran into him at a show and he told me about Wayward Knitting Club. He told me that doing the workshop with me had inspired him and a few friends to start their own sketch group and perform. The fact that he sought me out and wanted to tell me that meant the world to me. I've been running the workshop for 4 years, and that was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me in relation to it.

So long, man. Even though we didn't get to spend a lot of time together, I could tell you were one-of-a-kind. And I'm not sure if I grabbed you after the show or not, but I saw your Wayward Knitting Club show and you were hilarious :)

I'm toasting and celebrating Matt's glorious life. He was kind, loving, generous, sensitive, gentle, a scholar, humble & above all a peaceful gentleman. He was an American patriot, and served is Country well as an airman in the U.S. Air Force. He loved America. His soul ran deep, his heart was huge, his spirit was like a butterfly. He loved my Betty (a.k.a. Beth Adams). He beat me in golf, just barely. He is my golf buddy! Oh do I miss him. I'm comforted, because I know, without a doubt, that his soul and spirit are immortal, and we will forever keep the memories of him in our minds. We can never forget him and that is wonderful. I want to thank Matt's Mom and Dad for creating him, and blessing us with his presence, and allowing us to know, love and hold him. I'll treasure the time I spent with him during July 2015, and February 2016. Your friend Ron Adams - Mansfield, Massachusetts.

Dear Fitzsimmons,

What sadness is felt at the loss of a loved one. I remember Matt break dancing at a formal ceremony to the delight of all in attendance. What a great personality he had. May the Lord's spirit bring you comfort during these grieving times. Love and prayers - The Bright's

A little bird whispered in my ear this morning, and told me that Matty and David Bowie were having a music jam on Mars, as we spoke. Matty is the guy playing lead guitar (I believe the guitar is red Gretsch Tennessean) . See the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMZ0-nJ0Ipo  ; "Life on Mars"

Matt and I knew each other from working at Canviz. He made the office fun whether it was organizing foosball tournaments without revealing himself as the only member of the prestigious Foosball Committee, buying Nerf guns and starting wars, or just doing something really weird (see the videos in the gallery). He always had some funny monologue about the guys I had dated. 

"Gotta go out to my truck to get my tools"

"I didn't know we were going on a picnic or I would have brought some sandwiches."

I think my favorite was when he would pretend to be a barista at Starbucks and call out the most complicated drink orders. What I would give to have him call out one of those right now.

We would tease each other to the point of pissing each other off but Matt always knew when he went too far and he would apologize. We also had several serious conversations about life and sometimes he would ask for advice on situations that were challenging for him and I always appreciated the serious side of Matt. I loved hearing about his latest hobbies. He was always trying something new which I thought was awesome. He never seemed worried about whether he would be good at it, he would just go for it! Matt was also so friendly and social. He always made it a point to make new people at work feel welcome and even invited folks out for fun after work.

Honestly it feels so weird to write about him in past tense. I guess when someone brings as much laughter to the world as Matt has, It is hard to not think of him as still being around.

My heart goes out to his friends and family. He was truly a unique person that will be greatly missed but I know I am grateful for the time I had with him.

Matt and I met in college. I was instantly drawn to his sense of humor and witty jokes. We were instant friends. He would help me with my Japanese studies and we would go to the occasional astronomy meet up to look at the stars and question the universe around us. One of my favorite memories was when he took me rock climbing for the first time. I remember I was stuck mostly in the first few feet on the bottom and he was climbing around way near the top like an acrobat doing tricks. He had jumped from quite a distance and skillfully landed on the gravel and then just fell over. I was shocked and ran over to him. He faked that he had hurt himself, and said He needed help...then said only a kiss would make him feel better! He got a face full of gravel after that comment. Matt was very kind and was always helping someone. He always could put a smile on anyone's face, no matter what it took. Matt, thank you for showing me such kindness, and for helping me through rough times. You always treated your friends as your family. Sincere condolences to all of Matt's family, and friends with this heavy loss of such a bright light. You were taken way way too soon and will be missed by many.

Fitzsimmons family -
I'm so very sorry to learn of Matt's passing. It's been many years since our families were residing north of Helena and remember lots of fun involving Firtzsimmons' kids. Holding your family in my heart and thoughts.

My time with Matt was short but full of laughter and good times. His foosball skills got better every day! And it was a pleasure to see him every day because I knew there would always be laughter and music. The force was strong with you Matt - your friend forever, Rich

Fitzsimmons Family - Please accept my condolences on behalf of myself and my family. Yoli, you’ve talked so much of Matt over the years; how proud you are of him and what a joy he is to be around. Although, I’ve never met Matt, I’m thankful to have had a small glimpse into his life through your many stories. May he rest in peace.

I'm so sorry. May beautiful memories of Matt help you through this difficult time. I did not know Matt personally but Yoli spoke of him often and mentioned how proud she was of him. My deepest sympathy to the Fitzsimmons family for your loss.

Matt was a little squirt when I met him, such a funny, cute, curious kid. Although I wasn't able to spend much time with him in later years, I kept up with his adventures through his adoring sisters, Kelly and April. Whenever I asked about him, their faces lit up. It's clear that he brought them, and his entire family, so much joy. I am thinking of the entire Fitzsimmons family and sending them love and comfort and prayers. Let us all make a commitment that when we think of Matt, we smile and allow our faces to light up the way his sisters' did. Let him be a deep reminder of the joy life can bring.

This is tragic news for the Erickson Road Community where Matt grew up. Our prayers are with the family. Let us know if we can be of any help.

To the whole Fitzsimmons family, my very heartfelt sympathy for your loss. You all are and will continue to be in my prayers.

Dear Friends:

Thank you so much for the tremendous outpouring of love and support for Matt. His passing was a shock to all of us and we feel the incredible loss of our son/brother/uncle. Knowing that not everyone does facebook, we created this site as a hub of remembrance for Matt that will live on in perpetuity. Even though you posted on facebook, please repost it here as my parents don't do facebook and it would mean the world to them to see the photos and experience your memories. 

We take comfort in knowing Matt was an organ donor and his gift will help over a 100 people with his donation. We are going to do a private ceremony for Matt in the summer to celebrate his life. But if you are doing one in your community, please feel free to share it here and on facebook. 

We are profoundly grateful for your presence in Matt's life. It's really clear that he was loved and cherished by so many. 

With love,

The Fitzsimmmons Family

Matt was an awesome guy, always a blast to be around. He was so fun loving and generous. Some of the most fun and funniest times I have had in the past couple years, Matt was always there front and center. He could and would make anything and everything fun. He's onto his next adventure tarring shit up every step of the way. You will be greatly missed Matt!! RIP buddy!

I knew Matt through our friend Tim McDaniel. I knew him from a couple BBQs and get-togethers. A couple years ago we started going downtown to listen to music and generally cause mayhem. It was usuallly three or four of us. What a blast we had! 

Matt and I shared a sense of humor that often others didn't understand - and that was so funny to us. A night with Matt meant a sore stomach in the morning from laughing so hard. I went to the Sasquatch Festival last year and had a great time with Matt. We were planning the Pemberton Festival this year and he was going to stay with us in the condo - I was looking forward to it a lot. He was 13 years younger than me and often felt he was like a little brother. Going downtown won't be the same without him.

Matt and I go back only 5 years, but seems like 20. We had so many adventures together at work, travelling to clients around the US, at music festivals, snowboarding, vacationing with my crazy family (and he would say his was crazier). He was like a little brother or me, we argued, wrestled (he fought dirty!), discussed deep thoughts and were overall both there for each other when needed. He looked to me for advice, mentorship, and show interest in learning from my life experiences. I always enjoyed his stories, they were always half crazy - half amazing., always hilarious  My family sees him as extension of ours, referring to him as Uncle Matt. My kids each had a special relationship with him, as he had a unique way about putting himself at the level of others. I remember him going into 5th grade level debates with my son Calvin, and me thinking it was ridiculous…but now realize it made a super impact on Calvin to relate at his level – Matt was a kid at heart.

One of the stories I love about Matt...

Last year at sasquatch festival we volunteered to help set up the festival in exchange for some “special access” passes. We were assigned the job of putting up the letters on the pond that spelled Sasquatch, each letter floating on its own. At the end we realized we missed the first S and it merely said “asquatch” – doh (I posted this picture in the gallery). Then they asked us to put fliers up around the venue, Matt promptly asked if we could have a golf cart since it was so much to carry and cover the whole venue…they were like uhhh, sure…and we were off. We quickly learned only the “important people” got to use the golf carts, hence, everyone was asking us questions. For example – the merchants would say things like “how do we get paid” or “who do we talk to about wifi connections”…at first we were like uh, we are just volunteers….but then we/he decided to have fun with it. Matt would tell people things like – “you need to talk to Tina in accounting”, who I am pretty sure didn’t exist. By the end of the day we knew everyone behind the scenes and chatted with those same people as bought beers and food throughout the weekend. Each person laughing when the saw us and realized we were just 2 guys having fun!

Every time I think about Matt, I simply laugh and smile. We had so much fun together, I will always remember him as my partner in crime, my buddy, and my brother from another mother.

RIP Mathew – you were a special breed, and will forever be remembered by those who you touched in life.

Matt and I have worked together for many years and every time I went to Seattle on business we would hang out. Sometimes we'd go to Whistler and ski, other times we'd go out to restaurants or clubs or concerts with Tim McDaniel and whoever else wanted to come along. We chatted just about every work day for the past several years. Last Friday we tag-teamed a demo presentation for one of our customers and it went great; we worked well together. Just a few hours before the accident we were making plans on a Lync call to jam on guitars and drums in his attic the next time I visit Seattle.

I've got nothing but fond memories with Matt. Some of my favorites are the time we quit skiing around noon at Whistler and went to the bar. After several rounds Matt struck up a conversation with some ladies who were sitting next to us. He was joking around and being his usual funny self. He was playing Coindozer on my phone and when he handed it back to me I realized he sold my prize bears. I punched him in the arm which caused him to knock over a bunch of full beer glasses that ended up all over the ladies' jackets and shirts. The ladies gave Matt dirty looks and scurried off, even though it was my fault. I totally ruined his mojo with the ladies, by accident. We joked about it for several more rounds before heading back to the condo. For at least a year after that episode he really enjoyed teasing me about how upset I got that he sold the prize bears. He was right, I certainly overreacted. :-)

Another time we were out in downtown Seattle. First Matt took us to a place where you could order crickets or some other bug like that as an appetizer. We ordered it and I tried one and said no more! Tim ended up going to the bathroom and purging the one he ate. Our buddy Chris from China didn't like them too much either. Matt looked like a little kid as he grinned at us while we tried to eat them. He thought it was hilarious! He was eating them like the were M&Ms! After that, Matt recommended we go to some night club behind the restaurant so we all followed him in. He said it was the coolest spot in town and we were all gonna love it. It didn't take long until we realized it was a bar for gay men only and we decided to go elsewhere where we fit in better and we not being groped. We prolly gave Matt a hard time about that for a year or so as well. I still don't know to this day if he did that as a joke or had no idea. I wouldn't put it past him to do it as a joke, he was funny like that.

Matt would text me and tell me about new games to play on the Android phone regularly. I'd try the games out and we'd chat about them. My son (Chase) asked me where I found the games I have on my phone and I told him Matt recommended them. One day Chase came up to me and said Dad, can you call Matt and ask him to tell us what game to get next? :-) Matt got a kick out of that.

I could go on...lots of good memories inside and outside of work.

I send my deepest condolences to all Matt's family and friends.

I miss you buddy and I am so sad to see you go so soon. I'm looking forward to that jam session when I join you someday!

For many years, I adored this guy. 
Matt was extremely intelligent, fun and curious, always picking up new hobbies. I admired his creativity and willingness to have immersed himself in Japanese culture and learned the language quite well. We met in college, I of course was crazy about him and made a huge mark on my life that I'll forever be grateful for. He encouraged me and challenged me in countless ways. He was goofy and ridiculous, but at the same time extremely intelligent, both mentally and emotionally. I can't believe you're gone, Matt. I hope you got to fly through Japan one last time before your unfortunate exit. My deepest condolences to his family who I know he much he adored, and I loved hearing his stories about his little nieces and nephews- he lit up anytime talking about them. Big hugs and lots of love, Coral. I'll always remember you on August 13th

oh man. what a tragedy. I don't want to believe a light as bright as Matt can be put out. Matt got me through high school. He taught me how to launch jumps on a snowboard. He was always down to do anything new and exciting. He was constantly learning and pushing himself for more and better. He was humble and kind, insightful. I'm going to miss seeing what he could have become and done with more years on this Earth. I miss his jokes, his clowning. I miss playing folf with him. I miss his philosophy, trying to figure out the Tao, or meditation, or chess or Go or girls or work or sports or whatever. I know he's in a better place now. But I miss him. He'd be laughing at me now. Making up some terrible rap song, fully committed. Or purposefully knocking something over and accidentally breaking it. So, I'm going to remember Matt as the guy that turned up the music, that found the silver lining, that brought out the best. I'm going to remember his ceaseless curiosity and imagination. I'm going to remember that Matt lived everyday without regret and loved just about every minute of it. I'm going to dig out my folf disc, turn up some Beastie Boys and pour one out for an old friend that will never be forgotten.

Matt was the first person I supervised in the Air Force and he made that job easy. He was a tremendous Airman and friend. I will miss our snowboarding trips, rounds of golf, and adventures exploring Tokyo. He always impressed me with his will to learn. From picking up the Japanese language to learning golf to playing musical instruments. He was such a great friend and I'm thankful I got to catch up with him in August 2014. Matt, you will be missed so much brother.

There will forever be a special place in my heart for you. You were sweet, loving, generous and wanted only to make people happy. You connected people. I love you my sweet sweet Matty.