Matthew Ryan Frederick Lee

Matthew Ryan Frederick Lee, 25, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away Thursday, October 10, 2019 at his home. Matt was born on February 4, 1994 in Waterville, Maine. He was the son of William and Debra (Erstad) Lee.

While growing up, Matt and his two older siblings, Steven and Katherine, lived in Maine, Kentucky, and New Hampshire before moving to Salisbury, Maryland. He was musically gifted and played many instruments, including acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, drums, and piano. Matt loved creating music with his friends in their bands, "Cowboy Repeater" and "The Glass Balloon" and performing in their high school's Battle of the Bands, where they won nearly all of the awards including "Best Guitarist". Matt also played the trombone in his high school marching band and performed on guitar and drums in the JMB Rock n' Roll revival. He went on to graduate from James M. Bennett High School with the Class of 2012.

Aside from having a love for music, Matt was an avid reader, especially of fantasy novels and biographies of his favorite musicians. While on family vacations to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, he would read for hours on the beach. He enjoyed spending time with his family playing Euchre, discussing politics and current events, and making pancakes like his grandfather. One of his favorite places to visit was northern Ontario. On a recent trip, he took time to teach his two young cousins to play guitar and help them with their dance routines. Matt also enjoyed playing Pathfinder with his friends.

He started his work career with his family's business, Cold Stone Creamery, while in high school. During his three years at Cold Stone, Matt had fun working and performing with the crew. After moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2014, he worked at FYE at Glenbrook Mall, where he met friends who helped him establish roots in Fort Wayne. He most recently worked at Micropulse in Columbia City.

Matt was very loving, patient, caring and thoughtful. He had a big heart and he was there to help others out when they needed it.

He will be dearly missed by his loving parents, Bill and Debbie Lee of Barbee Lake; brother, Steven (Sana) Lee, of Cupertino, California; sister, Katherine Lee, of Dover, New Hampshire; uncles and aunts Gabe and Patricia Lee, Don Lee, Gordon Lee, Jim and Joanne Erstad and Julie and Paul Daigle; cousins, John Paul, Amy, Mark, Erin, Brandon, Bianca, Brianna, Eric, Amy, Shawna, Julian, Justyn, Amanda, Kristyn, Jordan and Jason, the friends he made; and his cat, Evelyn. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Frederick and Patricia Lee and Robert and Joan Erstad; and an uncle, Art Lee.

A Celebration of Matt's life will take place at a later date in Canada. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the Bowen Center. Arrangements with DeMoney-Grimes, a Life Story Funeral Home, 600 Countryside Drive, Columbia City. Visit www.demoneygrimes.com to send his family condolences online.