Matthew Tyler Young

Age 44, Matthew left us unexpectedly to be with the Lord on September 28, 2025. He was born July 16, 1981, the eldest child and only son of Gilbert and Nancy (Van Heuklon) Young. They were truly blessed to watch this ordinary, wonderful man do some very extraordinary things with his life.

Matthew married the love of his life, Rachael Witt, on June 28, 2013. The family that they built together was his greatest joy and proudest accomplishment. A true handyman, Matthew and Rachael adapted their house to become a home. Together they raised three young boys into three diverse and caring young men. Matthew enjoyed spending time with his boys, whether it was a spontaneous “survivalist” camping trip, a video game marathon, working on cars, a construction project, model building or just hanging out. All the best of Matthew will live on in Owen, Trystan and David. A former Scout himself, he was a Cub Scout Leader for the boys for six years, and a Boy Scout Committee Chair and Unit Advancement Chair for four years. He also acted as a football coach and a VEX Robotics mentor. His sons say that whenever another adult leader was needed, he would step in, fill the role and do anything in his power to help.

Matthew and Rachael share a daughter – Mekenzie. The youngest in the family, Mekenzie melted the whole family’s heart with her arrival – and wrapped her Daddy around her tiny little finger. Like her mother, Mekenzie is both demure and mighty. She allowed Matthew a chance to display his playful, silly side. He was able to spend a great deal of time with her, and Mekenzie will be able to cherish those memories of Papa Bear.

Matthew and Rachael were meant to grow old together. Their nest was starting to empty, and they were making plans to travel and do the other things that married couples try to do when the children grow up. Rachael has been cheated out of that opportunity but will take some solace in the fact that they did find each other and had truly found their soulmates.

One of Matthew’s first roles was that of big brother to Sarah, Michelle and Elizabeth. He was their hero and protector, and occasionally their adversary, when growing up. Even as adults, the girls turned to their big brother when they needed him - and he was there. Matthew always showed up, even just to sit with someone in need. Beyond his work, you could find him doing general handy man jobs for his family and friends; hunting, camping or renovating the house. He loved teaching his children, sisters, and friends proper gun use and protection.

Nicknamed Yeti, Matthew was larger than life and had a heart of gold. He proudly served in the United States Marine Corps, both on active duty from 1999-2003 with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and as a Reservist with Fox Company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines, out of Milwaukee. During his time, he served five overseas deployments to 15 countries, including Iraq and Kuwait, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. He attained the rank of Sergeant and loved his brothers-in-arms fiercely.

Matthew attended Kimberly High School, and he graduated in 2009 from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a degree in Social Work. He also attended Loyola University Chicago. For several years, Matthew worked as a social worker at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, and the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King, helping countless veterans work through difficult transitions.

Matthew was a man of action, not words. He championed America’s veterans and Afghan allies with unwavering devotion through his work with Moral Compass Federation, Task Force Argo, Heart of an Ace, and other organizations. Whether coordinating food drops for those in hiding, uplifting partner NGOs, or advocating for moral injury recovery, he forged bonds of compassion and courage that held others together. A co-volunteer stated that “he was not just a link in the chain, he was its unbreakable core, connecting lives across borders and battles with quiet strength and enduring love.” Later, he volunteered to be the Executive Director of Heart of an Ace Inc., a non-profit organization. In this role, he helped raise over $1.2 million and fed hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees. He also used his experiences to help others navigate complex situations with aid coordination for Ukraine and helped find trusted options for evacuations. The full extent of Matthew’s impact in the United States and abroad might never be known.

Rachael helped Matthew (and others) work on booking and hosting an art event in Washington DC where Afghan refugee artists had the opportunity to display and sell the work they made during their heroic voyages out of Afghanistan. He was also present at the first congressional hearing on the Afghanistan Withdrawal by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March of 2023 in Washington, D.C.

Matthew was an active volunteer in his local and state community as well. He was an important part of the Custom Canines Service Dog Academy village, where he was paired with his service dog, Trooper. He helped with their crisis assistance, response and enhancement team. Several times he stopped whatever he was doing to go to a school or business that had experienced a traumatic event so that Trooper could provide comfort to those in need. Trooper changed Matthew’s life, giving Matthew the strength to navigate the normal things like being in stores, eating in a restaurant, going to a performance, etc. The dog’s presence eased Matthew’s anxiety so that he could participate and enjoy life with his family on a level that he had struggled with before.

His most recent employment was as a member of the Reinaert Family. Matthew was a Program Manager, ultimately becoming a subject matter expert as well, on Reinaert’s program supporting sensor constellations in Eastern Europe that monitor nuclear and radiological events for the US Government.

He is survived by his beloved wife Rachael; four children, Owen Young, Trystan Witt, David Young, and Mekenzie Young; parents Gilbert and Nancy Young; parents-in-law Bill and Marlene Witt; three sisters, Sarah (Uwaymir) Anjum, Michelle “Ellie” (Kevin) Lance, and Elizabeth “Missy” (Michael) Miller; nephews and nieces Ibraheem, Rahma (Carter), Ahmad, Safa, Isa, Connor, Miles; a great-niece, Hanaan; his faithful service dog Trooper; cats Meow and Emmy (or Emmie, depending on who you ask); and a large number of aunts, uncles, cousins, colleagues and friends.

He was preceded in death by his four grandparents, Gilbert and Ruth Young, and Norman and Mary Van Heuklon; a stillborn niece, Amelia Lance; a cousin, Ashley Van Heuklon; and an incredible support dog, Huvu. He was also preceded by brothers in arms Cpl Brian P. Prening, LCpl Daniel R. Wyatt, LCpl Travis M. Wichlacz, LCpl Richard D. Warner, and PFC Brent T. Vroman.

The funeral visitation will be at the First Congregational Church (724 E. South River Street, Appleton) on Friday, October 10, from 2:00 to 4:00, followed by a celebration of life at 4:00. His urn will be interred at Riverside Cemetery in the Veteran’s Garden section at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Custom Canines Service Dog Academy. https://www.customcanines.org/

Rest easy. Semper Fi