Obituary of Matthew Robert Sander

January 6, 1986 – Calgary, Alberta

February 5, 2024 – Calgary, Alberta

Matthew Robert Sander of Calgary, AB, passed away on Monday, February 5, 2024, at the age of 38 years.

Born to Robert and Sheila Sander, Matthew was a happy and contented baby with sparkling blue eyes and enviable strawberry blond hair. He grew up carefree and happy alongside his older brother Mike and younger sister Carissa. Even as a child, Matt was a thrill-seeker and fun-loving guy. He was the daredevil of the family; the first to jump off the high dive into a dark cenote in Mexico, go bodysurfing in the frigid waves at China Beach, or sneak into a forbidden construction site to explore.

Throughout his life, Matt was defined by his singular dedication to his passions and the deep connections he forged within his creative communities. He was an unrelenting perfectionist in his current interest, and over years he would educate himself through independent study, building new friendships in the field, and registering for schooling, often achieving recognition as an expert in his chosen field.

From childhood, Matt had an incredible palate that could pick out flavours and techniques in food and drinks. This awareness paired with his drive and enabled him to become a wildly talented home chef. Matt literally worked his way through the books of French, Mexican, and Thai cuisines and delighted his guests and hosts with delicious dishes and feasts. He was the person to call if you wanted to impress a date or make a terrific dough for family pizza night. By the end of the call, you were excited to grow cilantro roots to make an exotic curry together.

Matt became entranced as a teenager with ocean life. His passion and charisma led him through local shops and online communities where he made lifelong friendships, all while learning the care of challenging corals, anemones, and exotic tropical fish. These incredible, thriving aquariums were an immense source of pride and a delight for everyone lucky enough to receive a tour.

As an adult, Matt was enigmatic, with a lightning-fast wit and ability to recall seemingly minute details at the drop of a hat. In high school, Matt came to life on the stage, earning him an award for Actor of the Year. After high school, Matt followed his passion for movies into the Film and Video Production program at SAIT, where his tastes for art and all things creative were honed and refined. Though his enthusiasm for film never faded, he went on to find much success with the family business, where he worked for nearly twenty years, building relationships across the industry, and making his family incredibly proud.

In the early 2000s, he grew his love of dance music and hip hop into DJ shows under various aliases (“Glow in the Dark”), including a standing gig at the late great Cafe Koi. This developed into a passion for synthesizers and making electronic music that he shared at house parties, with his family and friends, and online.

As a beer aficionado and enthusiastic brewer, Matt’s bottle-share parties were legendary, and he would joyfully introduce friends and guests to wild and exotic drinks. He spent many warm summer days joking with friends in his backyard and kitchen, experimenting and honing his concoctions. His beers competed well in Yeast Wranglers, and several of his recipes went on to be produced commercially and enjoyed by hundreds if not thousands.

Matt was hilariously funny, charismatic, and genuine. Quick to make friends, he would light up every room with joviality, and his quick wit would have friends and family howling with laughter. Matt was also kind and sensitive; he would drop what he was doing to help move a couch, lend a patient ear, or meet his sister at the dog park. He loved animals dearly, especially his late cat Mandu, and adored the children in his life, especially his young nephews who idolized their “Unc”.

His friends and family will miss Matt terribly but will always be inspired by his remarkably full life.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the MEOW Foundation, 35 Skyline Crescent NE, Calgary, AB T2K 5X2, https://meowfoundation.com/, or to the Calgary Distress Centre in Matt’s honour, through the family-organized GoFundMe with donations going directly to the organization at https://www.gofundme.com/f/99rba-in-memory-of-matt.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Matthew’s family here.

In living memory of Matthew Sander, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Deerfoot South, 12281 – 40th Street SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 4E6, Telephone: 403-203-0525.