Matthew Kenneth Jimenez

He and his childhood friends were free to roam the streets and hills of their Hayward, California neighborhoods until it was time to get back home for dinner. “We’d pedal our one-speed bikes for miles, play baseball in empty lots and slide cardboard boxes down the hills.” Roaming outside would be a passion throughout Matt’s life.

That passion took him to the waves of Santa Cruz once he was old enough to drive. “We started out surfing longboards which were harder to maneuver. I rode ‘goofy foot’ which means that I rode with my left foot at the back. For me at first it was just about becoming a better surfer. As I got better, it became more of a philosophical experience for me . . . surfing can be very good for the soul.”

Matt’s middle and later years would find him becoming a more than enthusiastic fisherman. And like many other fishermen, he enjoyed recounting fishing tales such as going for steelhead on the Chetco, flyfishing the Truckee (catch & release), and taking salmon charters outside of the San Francisco Bay.

Matt’s mom was an exceptional cook. Matt inherited her ‘chef genes’ becoming an accomplished cook and avid barbecuer. While Matt was growing up, the two of them enjoyed visiting restaurants to sample all of the great foods that the Bay had to offer.

The 1960’s and 70’s offered a plethora of concerts for relatively cheap prices. Jimmie Hendricks at Winterland, B.B. King at the Filmore, the Stones at Altamont . . . just a few of the great talents that Matt got to see.

During the Vietnam War, Matt served as an air traffic controller on the USS America in the Gulf of Tokin. Decades later, he enjoyed sharing stories with other veterans in the waiting rooms of the Reno VA.

Matt was the proud father of two sons and a doting Papa to his granddaughter. “I always knew that my family and friends were the most important parts of my life. The memories of times spent with them become even more precious as I get older. I am a lucky guy.” He will be sorely missed.