William "Matt" Matthew Sanders

It was a sun-drenched day the morning Matt decided to greet the world June 5, 1977. His birth date was supposed to be mid-May. His parents, to be, were living in Cedar Rapids. The 2 weeks prior to his birth they traveled back to Spencer each weekend with a bassinet in the LuvTruck to take him home to Cedar Rapids. Both times they were disappointed. They finally received a call, on June 5th, that the birth mother was in labor. The LuvTruck could not get to Spencer fast enough. What a tiny baby he was, but boy did he grow into a loving, kind, and funny person. Matt was not one to play Cops and Robbers, he was muck more interested in being in the kitchen making pretend meals with every pot and pan he could find. He eventually moved from Mom’s pots and pans and started crating yummy food of his own making. At age 13, he spent the summers working in the kitchen of Crescent Beach. He knew he wanted to be a chef.

He graduated from Spencer High School. Matt was the youngest student to be accepted at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. During his internship time through the institute he elected to work at ROY’s in Maui and worked under Roy Yamaguchi and David Abella learning Pacific Rim cuisine. He stayed there for two years and returned stateside after becoming “island bound”. He settled in Minneapolis and worked at Kincaid’s, Capital Grille, and Manny’s. After a divorce, Matt retuned to the Lakes area. Unfortunately, he had medical issues that damaged his sense of smell and taste. This ended his chef career. Two years ago he and his close and wonderful friend, Mark Norton formed a business partnership in Norton VIP Detailing.

Matt is survived by his buddy Freya, a Jack Russell/Chihauhau dog, his mother, Rebecca Redmond, Uncle and Aunt Peter and Cindy Redmond, Chelsea Redmond Palmquist and family, and other family members.

*In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Matt's name and sent to P.O. Box 763 Arnolds Park, IA, 51331