Matthew Kehl

Matt was born October 13th, 1986, the son of Steve and Kathy (Bowden) Kehl. He grew up in the Wausau area and graduated from D.C. Everest High School in 2005. Matt developed a great interest for gaming and computers, which was reflected in his participation in the D.C. Everest gaming club. Education was important to him. He was active in Upward Bound, a UW-Stevens Point program that prepped high school students for college. He volunteered for an oral history project, documenting and recording stories of veterans.

As a student at UW-Green Bay, he pursued a double major in computer science and human development and graduated in 2009. While attending school in Green Bay, he was a member of SUFAC, which administers funds to school groups. He was involved in the gaming communities in Wausau and Green Bay. D.C. Everest's annual gaming convention, Evercon 2012, will be in his honor. He enjoyed science fiction books, television shows, and movies. His interests were many and included magic cards, the Muppets, and researching artificial intelligence.

In 2010, Matt was employed by UnitedHealth Group of Wausau as a report coordinator. He was in the process of purchasing a home in Wausau.

Most important to Matt were his friends and family. He held his relationships in high regard and took great pleasure in seeing those around him happy. Matt had many special friends because he himself was a special friend, a dedicated and caring individual.

His childhood was filled with memories of family vacations to the Grand Canyon and Disney World, to name two. Perhaps one can say he developed his subtle sense of humor and whimsical attitude during the trips, bantering back and forth with his dad.

Matt's parents are proud of the accomplishments he achieved during his short life, but more importantly, they are extremely proud of who he was as a son, brother, grandson, boyfriend, friend, and overall person. His memory and spirit will live on in the minds and hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Matthew Bowden Kehl, died in a traffic accident on Sunday, October 16th, 2011, at the age of 25.

He will be fondly remembered by his mother and father, Kathy and Steve Kehl, Plainfield; sister, Jenny Kehl, Oshkosh; maternal grandparents, Marge and Dwight Bowden, Almond; uncle and aunt, Ron and Mikki Bowden, Almond; cousins, Jordy and Sami Bowden, Almond, and Jeremiah (Alysson) Bowden and their son, Gabe, Riverside, CA; loving girlfriend, Sophie Nelson, Kenosha; and countless other friends and family members.

A celebration of Matt's life will be held at 12:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 25th, at the Helke Funeral Home, Wausau. The family will receive guests Monday, October 24th from 4 - 8:00 p.m., at the funeral home; and again on Tuesday at the funeral home, beginning at 11:00 a.m. until the service.