Dear Phyllis and Tommy and family 
Thinking of you and wishing you peace and comfort. We offer our heartfelt condolences and hope that the cherished moments you shared will bring you some comfort.
Barb and Chandra

So sorry  for your loss.
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

Dr.West and family we are very sorry for your loss… sending our thoughts and sympathy

Teresa and Ray Tucker

Malinda, I’m so sad to hear of Matt’s passing. We were friends through church in high school and college and then met several years ago….sort of by accident when I was visiting Gburg, before he moved to Springfield. I remember him mentioning how proud he was of you being at Augusta. He was such a delight with a wonderful smile, infectious laugh and someone I was honored to call friend. My condolences to you, your parents, Todd and the rest of your family. 💕

Dr  West and Family,            I am so sorry for your loss! My thoughts and prayers are with you and wish and wish you all peace and comfort!

Remember lots of fun times with Matt.  Playing croquet, golf, or basketball as kids will always be fond memories.  Matt will be missed tremendously.  Very sorry for the loss.
Matt was welcoming, engaging and easy to have a good conversation with.  Will definitely miss him.

Growing up, I always looked forward to seeing my uncle Matt. He was such a a genuine and funny person to be around. The holidays always felt brighter when he was there. No one could make my dad laugh quite like he could. He genuinely cared about the people around him, too. Even if we hadn't seen him in a while, he would always make a point of catching up, and after talking for just a few minutes, things felt comfortable and familiar again. When I was younger he would talk to me and my siblings and get to know our us and our little lives. He was never condescending, and was always  able to find something he could relate to. He would find something we had in common--a movie, a game, something--and share his own stories.  He made us feel like we were his friends; like we were cool enough to be in on whatever he was laughing about, even when we were little. He made any game feel more exciting, providing commentary and playful competition that got everyone invested. When I think of Matt, I'll always remember his laugh and his smile, the comedy he could find in any situation, and the warmth and compassion he gave to everyone he encountered. His presence is greatly missed. I love you and miss you Matt. Thank you for bringing so much joy and laughter into our lives.

I remember seeing Matt just about every time we visited Galesburg, Illinois. I remember he always had a very laid-back and relaxed personality. I do not recall a single moment with him that was not a good time.

My sincere condolences to you on this enormous loss. I treasured all the time I got to spend with your family while growing up, from the Easter celebrations to the summer Ashrams, and visits in between. 

Matt was an incredibly warm, funny, caring person. He had such an exuberant personality and always created joy and laughter.

I remember his ability to create fun  games and his contagious laughter - one involving a laundry chute and us being nicely told to quiet down. On another occasion, I was hosting an Easter celebration at our house and wanted to check on the kids. Phyllis said, “Don’t worry, Matt is with them.”  Sure enough, I peeked out the kitchen window and saw that he had organized all the littles in an intriguing game in which they were all deeply involved. It was so impressive that he would take that initiative to make sure they were all included and having fun. 

Holding you in my thoughts and prayers. His light was so bright and will keep shining on in all who knew him and loved him. 

Love, 
Cousin Kat

My deepest sympathy in your time of loss. Prayers for healing and peace for each of you.

Matt was a big presence is this world and in our family. He truly warmed the room with his laughter.  He was giving of his time and attention to everyone who needed or wanted it. His parents and siblings will forever cherish their lifetime of memories together. His nieces and nephews will always know his warmth and kindness. I will remember his sense of humor and giving nature.  A smile is missing from our family.  
May his memory bring all who knew him comfort in these days. 
Rest in peace, Matt, you will be deeply missed.

My brother Matt is missed so deeply. His enthusiasm for life was truly palpable. He had an electric energy that filled a room in conversation, & was felt during any competition- cards or sports. Even in watching movies, some of the quotes he’d bring up at later times would have those around him in complete stitches. Nobody could fill a room with laughter, tell a story with such enthusiasm, & even crack himself up so much that at times we’d all end up belly laughing from the story delivery. There are so many examples it is impossible to capture, though those who knew him know exactly this energy he uniquely possessed. 

More than this, my brother had a purely kind heart. He wouldn’t hesitate to help his family, a friend or a stranger off the street. He had a way of making people feel valued, in the way he gave his time, attention, & listened to others.  Matt taught me card & board games, helped move me across the country, & was always available to lend an ear if I called. It was never a question of if Matt would be there for me, I knew he would do anything to help me, anytime. Just last Christmas, he helped dig out an old basketball hoop in the cold Wisconsin rain before going back home. My children saw these pieces of their Uncle Matt too, & we talk about that now, the love & time & value he gave to others as true gifts to carry forward. The world is at a loss without my brother here in it. His energy, spirit, electricity lives on, & this essence is what we will carry forward. 

I love you, Matt. Thank you for all you gave to me & this world while you were here. Brooks, Grier & Reed love you, Uncle Matt. We carry your stories onwards in our home. I know you are in a better place now & joined by family & friends who have passed before you (Mona & Savannah, too). Please, please let us catch up in the next world together. Please stay by Mom & Dad’s side in this world, they grieve so deeply for you. Please watch over my kids & our family in this world.  We miss you!

Family - I am deeply sorry to hear of Matt's passing.  He will be missed greatly.  Matt was always welcoming and kind, inclusive, and full of laughter.  He was someone I looked up to, and was a living example of resiliency and authenticity.  May he be at peace with those loved ones who have left before us.

My uncle Matt was always around when I was growing up, always someone I was excited to see and spend time with. He had the absolute best laugh ever. When I think about him I always hear his laugh. I remember being a kid on Christmas Eve, lying upstairs in a sleeping bag at my grandparents’ house, hearing Matt’s laugh bouncing around the house. Matt always had something funny to share, whether it be a silly comedy movie or show, or the Cinnamon Challenge on YouTube. If I was bored he was always down to play cards or a board game (Golf! Sorry!). And as I grew and changed I felt as though he was always ready to reacquaint himself with whatever version of myself I was. More often than not there would be a book recommendation: “When I was your age, I read…”
 I would always tell my friends about Matt and how awesome he was and how I wanted them all to meet him someday. What a dear, fantastic human! I know I will always love him, and my spirit will be looking for his in the trees on a walk, in the shuffling of a card deck, in strange moments of mundane hilarity out and about on the daily.  All those who knew him are so very fortunate. 🧡

Growing up, Matt was my best friend.  He was a constant when we moved from town to town.  He was my tentmate for Boy Scout camping outings, a teammate for youth basketball and baseball teams, and always someone I could play games of chess or Parcheesi or Dungeons and Dragons with.  We connected our bedrooms with a telegraph wire and sent Morse code messages transmitted over a buzzing of dots and dashes or over a light bulb that flashed our messages.  Matt loved games and when we were game-less during our 3-month stay in Zimbabwe he took a piece of cardboard and some coloring tools and made his own Monopoly board, even making cards for Chance and Community Chest.  He could be competitive and loud in the best ways.  Controlling his impulses was never Matt’s strong suit but he could keep quiet and still for long stretches and loved to read and share his enthusiasm about what he’d read.  He got me interested in fantasy literature and horror.  He was Best Man at my wedding and now that he’s gone a large part of me is gone with him.  I miss Matt, already, and look forward to seeing him post-death!

OBITUARY

Matthew S. West

August 4, 1969 – March 27, 2024

Bisch & Son Funeral Home

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