"I was the nurse on site who cared for Matthew right after the accident happened. I stayed with him and talked to him the entire time. He was never alone. A young man taken too early from this world; he is forever in my thoughts and prayers, as well as his family. He will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace in Heaven and Paradise ??"
In loving memory of
Matthew Kim Schian
March 23, 1993 - March 2, 2022
Matthew Kim Schian passed away at the age of 28 on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Matthew is survived by his parents, Dale and Sarah, his sisters, GraceMarie and Samantha, his grandfather Leo, and his aunt Rachael VanValkenburg, and uncles Sam Richardson, Mark Schian, and Brent Schian. Matthew is also survived by the love of his life, Gareti Vargas, who he met in 2020.
Matthew graduated from Horizon Honors High School in 2011. He enlisted in the Army and served eight years in the 8th and 20th Engineer Battalions stationed at Fort Hood. In 2013 Matthew deployed to Afghanistan. His sergeant described Matthew as "very energetic, hardworking, caring, humble, funny, goofy, respectful and disciplined." Matthew was all of that and more. Matthew formed strong friendships and was there to help anyone in need. He understood whether the need was for a helping hand or a laugh and would supply either, frequently both.
In 2021 Matthew enrolled at Grand Canyon University to pursue a degree in nursing. He also started at Mountainside Fitness in Ahwatukee and quickly gained a following as a personal trainer.
After the Army, Matthew returned to Ahwatukee to find Jace, an adopted rescue dog, waiting for him. Matthew knew to kiss mom before he left the house and learned to say goodbye to Jace also so Jace knew not to sit at his bedroom door waiting to be let in. With the love of his family, Gareti, and Jace, Matthew found contentment and happiness.
Matthew will be interned with military honors at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N. Cave Creek Rd. Phoenix AZ 85024 with a graveside service at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 28, 2022. The service will be streamed for those unable to attend in person. https://vimeo.com/686905744 An open house to celebrate his life will be held at the Foothills Golf Club, 2201 E. Clubhouse Dr. Phoenix AZ 85048 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on April 28. Friends and family are welcome at the ceremony and open house.
Instead of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Walking Down Ranch https://walkingdownranch.org/ serving veterans in the White Mountains; the 100 Club of Arizona https://www.100club.org/ serving families of first responders who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty; or Arizona Small Dog Rescue https://azsmalldog.org/ where Jace was adopted.
Tributes
"Hi, Matt was a good friend of mine. I found out about his passing when I found his obituary online, and watched the service from the live stream. It was a hard way to find out but it gave me closure when I stopped hearing from him. I wanted to thank his family for doing that. I'm so sorry for this loss, he was an amazing person. "
"If I had a penny for all the memories and laughs we shared together, I would have Jeff Bezos beaten easily! Matt and I, didn?t really get to know know each other until about halfway through our deployment back in 2013. For some reason, I always thought he wanted to kick my ass hahaha. Come to find out later, that he was just messing around and see how long he could keep the prank going. I was like ?wow, you had me scared man? thought you wanted to beat me up.? He laughed and said ?Nah man, you?re cool.? For the next 4 yrs you could find my brother and I, cliff jumping, , camping, at work ?Sick Call? , anywhere I was, Matt was right there with me. And for those who don?t know what Sick call is, it?s basically a place you go EARLY in the morning to get out of morning workouts. Haha so yes we would fake sick together sometimes! Our Unit sometimes would have to split us up because we were to much trouble together haha. But you know, Matt was one of the very very few people I?ve met, that could find the perfect balance in life. I remember him telling me ?life is serious, but not that serious. So have fun, seriously.? I still live by that today, and I will keep living that way. The Matt Way. I?m going to miss you brother. You crazy man, that kept me sane at times when I wasn?t myself. Thank you for everything, I mean it. And to the Entire Schian Family, you guys are freaking awesome!! Without you guys, I would have no brother to remember. You all contributed to raising a great man. So seriously thank you so much and I?m here for you guys anytime of the day. - Sending my respect and love, Baby J. "
"No words could ever express the pain of losing a child. Mathew will always be in our hearts and prayers. Tom, Teresa and Zach DiSisto"