Matthew Shane Lively

It is with deep sorrow, yet reverence for his eternal journey, that we announce the passing of Matthew Lively, 42, who transitioned from this earthly life on April 9, 2026.

Matthew walked this world as a seeker of truth, a man of faith, and a soul on a deeply personal spiritual journey. He experienced life with great depth, carrying both light and weight. In doing so, he touched the hearts of those around him in ways that will never fade. His presence reflected quiet strength, compassion, and spiritual intensity, leaving an imprint not only on the lives he encountered, but also in the unseen spaces where love and memory continue to exist.

He was, in his own way, both a protector and a warrior, standing firmly for those he loved and often carrying more than he ever spoke of. Matthew faced life with courage, even when the path before him was uncertain or heavy. Within him lived both tenderness and resilience, shaped by moments of joy, hardship, reflection, and perseverance. Matthew was funny, bringing lightness into moments that needed it most, and he carried a heart that was truly vast, full of love, empathy, and care for others. His journey was not defined by ease, but by meaning, as his soul continually sought understanding and truth.

Matthew found grounding in the natural world and peace in working with his hands. The outdoors offered him a quiet place of connection, where the noise of life softened and something deeper could be felt. Whether tending to lawn care, repairing a home, building, or mechanical work. He moved with intention. He restored, built, and gave life back to what was worn or broken. In these acts, there was reflection of who he was at his core, a man who sought to mend, to care, and to bring things back into balance.

He also held a deep and spiritual connection to crystals, dragon rocks, treasures, and relics, all of which he experienced as part of a sacred and meaningful world of discovery. To Matthew, these were not simply objects, but living symbols of energy, memory, and presence, each one carrying it’s own story, its own history, and its own quiet significance within the spiritual journey he was walking.

He shared this world with his wife, children, family, and extended it outward to strangers and members of the community, turning ordinary moments of connection into experiences filled with joy, wonder, and meaning. Each treasure he discovered carried an amazing story, told with depth, emotion, and imagination, bringing life to what others might overlook and revealing significance in every detail.

He also found profound meaning in the sky above, the clouds and the stars, and in the amazing world all around us. He shared moments of soul searching and reflection with his family, inviting those he loved to pause, look upward, and feel a deeper sense of connection to something greater through the vastness and beauty of creation.

At the heart of it all were his stories, rich, vivid, and full of light, offered with warmth and generosity. Through them, he created a space where curiosity became joy, and shared experience became something deeply spiritual, reflecting the love, presence, and wonder he carried within him. The time spent together will forever be held in love, memory, and spirit.

At the center of Matthew’s life was his sacred role as a devoted husband and father. His love for his family was deep and enduring, woven into the very fabric of who he was, built on connection, shared life, and unwavering presence. As a husband, he shared a profound and lasting love with his wife, Murisa, a love rooted in loyalty, companionship, and a life built together through both joy and hardship. As a father, he carried a quiet strength and a deep sense of care, loving his children with a fullness word’s can only try to honor, a love that was steady, protective, and unconditional. His sons, Jontae Martinez, Elijah Lively, Alexander Jackson, and Bentley Lively, and his daughters, Nataliyah Lavier, Olivia Lively, Alina Lively, and Lillyanne Lively, were the living reflections of his heart’s purpose.

His love continues forward through his grandchildren Graciela and Anias, a living extension of his spirit and a reminder that love does not end but transforms and carries on through generations.

He remains the devoted son of Lawrence and Sharon Haywood, and a beloved brother to Stephen Haywood, Samantha Marcus, Nicholle Thomson, and Cassie Caldera. These bonds are not confined to this life, but continue in spirit, held together by a love that is unbreakable and everlasting.

Matthew is reunited in spirit with his beloved brother, Michael Haywood, now together in a place of divine peace, where love is whole and the soul is at rest.

Those who knew Matthew will remember not only the path he walked, but the spirit he carried, the compassion he gave, the strength he embodied, and the connections he formed along the way. His life reflects a deeper truth: many carry unseen battles, and even in struggle there can be profound love, meaning, and purpose. He showed up for others in ways that mattered, often quietly and without recognition, but always with sincerity.

In a spiritual sense, Matthew’s journey does not end here, it simply transforms. Matthew’s journey, in its truest spiritual form, does not end with this life, it rises beyond it. It continues beyond what the eye can see and what the mind can fully comprehend. His soul now rests in a sacred stillness, where the burdens of this world have fallen away and his spirit is

unbound. There is comfort in trusting that he is surrounded by divine light, restored to wholeness, and held gently within a love that knows no end.

His life now speaks with a deeper truth, one shaped by suffering, yet not defined by it. He walked through hardship that no soul should have to endure, carrying wounds placed upon him by the very community that should have protected him. And still, within him lived a spirit that sought light, that longed for understanding, that continued forward even when the weight was heavy.

His journey calls each of us into honest reflection, to live with greater compassion, to see one another more clearly, and to listen not only with our ears but with our hearts. It asks us to recognize the quiet battles others carry, and to understand that no soul is meant to bear such pain alone.

In honoring his life, we are reminded that even in the presence of deep hurt, love remains sacred and powerful. That the smallest acts of kindness can become lifelines. And that his spirit, now free from the burdens of this world, continues, held in peace, carried in light, and remembered as a soul whose story calls us to be gentler, braver, and more human with one another.

Matthew often returned to the words “rise from the ashes,” holding them close as both a reflection of his inner life and a quiet expression of hope. In those words, lived the spirit of the phoenix, the courage to endure, to be brought to one’s lowest point, and still seek a way to rise again. To him, they spoke of facing life’s deepest struggles while continuing to search for renewal and meaning. Even in the midst of hardship, he carried a spirit that reached beyond the fire, believing in transformation and something greater ahead. Matthew’s soul lives on beyond the edges of this world, where the journey becomes light, where love remains unbroken, and where peace carries him forward into eternity. That strength, that searching heart, and that enduring hope are forever honored in the legacy of a warrior of the spirit, his soul now walking in peace and freedom along its eternal journey.

A Service of Remembrance celebrating Matthew’s life and eternal journey will be held on May 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., at 107 West Florance Avenue in Fowler, Colorado 81039.

"In every sunset, every cloud, and every star-filled sky, we find pieces of you and remember that love never truly says goodbye. We see you in the beauty of the world around us—in the warmth of the sun, the gentle movement of the wind, and the quiet wonder of the night sky. And when a dragonfly appears, we pause and smile, feeling as though it carries a gentle reminder that your spirit is still near. Though your physical presence is no longer with us, your love continues to surround us, living on in the memories we cherish, the lessons you shared, and the countless lives you touched.

Every sunset, every drifting cloud, every shining star, and every dragonfly that crosses our path reminds us that the bonds of love are eternal. You remain a part of our journey, forever loved, forever remembered, and forever carried within our hearts until we meet again."

— In Loving Memory of Matthew Shane Lively March 27, 1984 – April 9, 2026