Matthew Allen Dorsett

Matthew Allen Dorsett, affectionately known as Matt, passed away on July 21, 2024. Born on March 26, 1992, he was the blessed son of Becky and Mike Dorsett and the loving brother of Katie, Nick and Luke Dorsett. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and never forgot his Hoosier roots. He remained a huge Indiana Pacers fan where his favorite player of all time was Reggie Miller. In grade school, every time he had a chance to dress up he would wear his blue and gold Pacers shorts and jacket. The Indianapolis Colts were his “hometown” football team and on Sunday afternoons he could be found wearing his Colts jersey and ball cap. With his wife Claire he visited Indianapolis in May of 2024 so he could experience the Indianapolis 500 and was able to attend a rare Indiana Pacers playoff game.

Matt attended St Vincent de Paul School in Federal way for grades 1-8. He went on to Kennedy Catholic High School, graduating as Valedictorian in 2010. He was accepted into Computer Engineering at the University of Washington and stayed to earn a Master’s Degree in Computer Science. Matt was a big supporter of UW football and as a student frequently made TV broadcasts for his costumes and raucous cheers. In recent years he started tailgating, every weekend adding more amenities in his search for the ultimate tailgate setup. After graduation he went to work for Microsoft where he was part of the Microsoft Teams product development group. He was promoted to the position of Principal Software Engineer in 2023. He loved working for Microsoft where he formed many close relationships.

From an early age Matt showed an avid interest in sports. He played youth soccer and basketball and ran cross country and track in high school. In college he competed in triathlons and ran several half and full marathons. In 2013 he ran the Boston Marathon and in 2014 ran it again with his brother Nick. After college Matt took up cycling, competing in several road races. He fell in love with gravel bike riding and spent many hours on trails throughout the Cascade foothills. He shared his cycling passion with his family and friends, often scheduling group rides to share his favorite trails. Matt learned to play golf in college and played frequently with Luke and other friends over the summers. In the winter he enjoyed snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, competing in several ski races in Mazama, WA, following in his Uncle Joe’s footsteps. He often said he wanted a home there where he could walk out the door and ski. Claire taught him to enjoy pickleball and they would play often in the park near their home.

While sports and athletics was an important part of Matt, he also enjoyed exercising his brain. He would find a new topic of interest, whether something in math, science, medicine, or engineering, and research it for weeks until he had a firm grasp of it. He could talk intelligently about nearly any topic but was able to do it in a way that made it interesting and easy to follow. Crossword puzzles were a passion for him that started in high school, inspired by his cross country coach Jim Vandenberg. At the same time, he loved cars and working on them, and his garage was always open if anyone needed help. After purchasing his house, he learned woodworking, electrical, and plumbing. He put in a bike garage/exercise room where he built and repaired bikes for family and friends. He was a bit of a renaissance man.

Matt made friends easily and developed strong ties with classmates, teammates, roommates, and co-workers throughout all stages of his life. They were drawn to his passion for life, his fierce loyalty, his bright smile, and his loving openness. Matt was truly bigger than life, and his personality could fill a room. He tried very hard to never lose track of these relationships and he was the “glue” that pulled all these different personalities together into a diverse band of friends.

Matt and Claire’s love story began when they met at UW. They dated for a while then maintained a strong friendship while both pursued their degrees. On a post-graduation trip to Spain, Claire met him in Barcelona where they rekindled their relationship. Over the next several years they took several trips to Hawaii and visited Canada and Thailand with friends. They were married on August 5, 2023, in a beautiful wedding on Claire’s family property in Stanwood, exploring the San Juans on their honeymoon.

In October 2023 they traveled to Israel for a friend’s wedding, learning about the culture and embracing the experience. While there they visited ancient historical sites in Jordan and then spent a week in Greece on the way home. Their lives together were full of activities with friends and pursuit of their passion for travel. They were weekly participants in trivia competitions at various bars in Seattle. They also teamed with friends in coed soccer, volleyball, and softball leagues. Just recently, the couple adopted a shelter cat, Nomo, who quickly made himself an integral part of the family. They had recently started teaching him to explore the outdoors on a harness leash. Nomo has been adopted into Matt’s family and will remain a cherished member.

His family will remember Matt for his fierce love and support. He was always there to encourage and cheer on his siblings in whatever they did. He coached track at Kennedy Catholic High School so he could coach his brother Nick to the state championships, riding his bike from UW campus to Burien 3 times a week for practice. He spent many hours on the phone with his sister Katie while she was working through med school and residency, providing a shoulder she could lean on and a sympathetic ear when she needed it. While his brother Luke was at UW, Matt would come visit and take him out for dinner. When Luke had homework questions Matt was always available to help. His door was always open if Luke wanted to come hang out, and Luke spent many hours with him and Claire in their home, and she became a second big sister for Luke. Matt always wanted to take care of everyone.

All of us, friends and family, will miss Matt’s presence in our lives. He leaves behind untold wonderful memories, so please use this space to share your special memories and photos of Matt as we grieve his loss together. Rest in peace, we love and miss you Matt.

In lieu of flowers the families request that any remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Wilderness Society (https://act.wilderness.org/) or World Wildlife Fund (https://protect.worldwildlife.org) in honor of “Matt & Claire Dorsett”.