Obituary
It’s with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Matthew Thomas Zarzycki on 13 October 2022. Matthew leaves behind his eight-year-old son Levy, mother Jolanta, father Tomasz, sister Agatha, co-parent and friend Stephanie, girlfriend Sam, family in Poland and friends who became family in Calgary. He has touched their lives more deeply than he could ever know.
His parents left communist Poland and took refuge in Latina, Italy, where he was born. Matthew came into this world as a symbol of love and light in challenging times, and his love and light will always remain. When he was six months old, his parents brought him to Calgary, Canada, where he spent the rest of his life, in the comfort of home. As a boy, he loved making his sister laugh with his Donald Duck impressions and watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which inspired him to earn his brown belt in karate. There was no stopping Matthew’s athletic talents, from swimming to basketball and snowboarding.
When he was seven years old, he took skiing lessons; he started at the beginner level in the morning, and, by the afternoon, he had joined the intermediate group. When he was fifteen, he was the youngest Canadian to compete in the FIS Junior Snowboarding World Championships in Madonna di Campiglio in Italy. He also traveled with his family, scuba diving in Sosúa in the Dominican Republic, windsurfing in Maui, and riding rollercoasters in Orlando. He had planned to visit his family for Christmas this year in Los Barriles in Mexico.
Matthew had big dreams: he read lots, earned his certificate to become a rig technician from SAIT and his Diploma in Petroleum Engineering Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and had nearly finished his Master’s in Business at Athabasca University. He was on his way to accomplishing great things, but he had already accomplished the greatest one of all: never-ending devotion to those he loved.
His ultimate joy is and always will be his son, Levy. There are no words to express how much we love Matthew and will miss him. We will always remember his kind heart, his sense of humour, and his infectious smile. Until we meet again, dearest one.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Name Catholic Church on Friday, October 21, 2022 at 11:00am followed by a Graveside Service at Queen’s Park Cemetery. A Reception will follow the Graveside Service at Holy Name Parish Hall.
In lieu of flowers, we kindly ask for donations to his son’s education fund. To contribute, please send an Interac e-Transfer to joluszar@gmail.com.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Matthew Thomas Zarzycki July 24 1986 October 13 2022 (age 36)..
Death notice for the town of: Calgary, Province: Alberta