Matthew Spudman Colin Chaussey

To Matthew Colin Chaussey, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Matthew, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Matthew really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Matthew was born on March 30, 1985 at Elmhurst Hospital in Elmhurst, Illinois. His parents were Richard and Leslie Danielson Chaussey who raise27653237sd Matthew in Bensenville and Naperville, Illinois. Even as a child, Matt had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Matthew was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Matthew managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Matthew was raised with three siblings. He had two older brothers, Chris and Erik, and a younger sister Brittany.

All of Matthew's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Matthew experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He took part in T-ball and baseball. In his spare time he liked baseball cards, playing outside, and swimming. Matthew's memorable achievements included some of the games he played in T-ball.

Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Matthew was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Matthew simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Matthew, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Matthew graduated from Neuqua Valley High School, Naperville, Il. in 2003. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite classes in high school were math and gym. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Ms. Lullo at Gregory Middle School. Matthew was part of a Special Olympics Basketball Team from 2001-2005, from Neuqua Valley High School that went to state and won Gold Medals each year. He also placed in Special Olympics Bowling one year.

Matthew never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Matthew to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Matthew delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Matthew was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Matthew utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were his sister, Brittany; cousins Stacy, Michael, and Nick and his friends Anne Eisaman, Kristen Zeller, Tim Hertzberger and Andy Park. Later in life, he became friends with Janik Charland from the neighborhood and Mike in security at Edward Hospital. Matt loved sharing life and having his home filled with family and friends.

At work, as in life, Matthew was a real “people person”. He had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Matt was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. His primary occupation was in food services with Aramark where he worked at Edward Hospital for about 6 years. He also worked at Goodwill in Naperville.

Matthew enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. His favorite pursuits were playing video games, watching the Blackhawks and other hockey games, watching wrestling and Facebook. Matt loved sports trivia and really enjoyed quizzing everyone. Matthew was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others. Matt especially loved playing mini-golf with the family and he always seemed to bring a little more excitement to the games.

Matthew felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Matthew loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Matthew relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. Matthew never seemed to get caught off guard even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, Matthew played Basketball in Special Olympics for 5 years. He also participated in Special Olympics bowling and bowled on a family league with his mom, dad, and sister Brittany. Matthew was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list was Blackhawks hockey. Matt also loved Cubs and Sox baseball.

Matthew had an endless appetite for new and different activities. He was always ready to join in the fun and add his flair and energy to an organization. Because of his personality, his humor, and his ability to get along with everyone, Matthew's service was greatly valued by the organizations to which he belonged. In high school, Matthew was a member of the Circle of Friends and Special Olympics. Throughout his later years, Matthew was an active member of the Sons of Norway, Polar Star Lodge in Aurora, Illinois. Matt also helped his Grandpa stuff bulletins at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Naperville each month, sometimes as many as 4000 bulletins.

Living life in the fast lane suited Matthew just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. Matt loved maps and was naturally curious about other parts of the world. He loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. Favorite vacations included family trips to Disney World. He especially loved the monorail, buses, and Test Trak. Matt also enjoyed camping in Wisconsin with his brother, Chris and his family and his sister, Brittany. Matt really enjoyed his trip to Annapolis, Maryland for his brother Erik's wedding. As always, he loved the times spent in this college town with friends and family, particularly the bars at night and our luncheon at the Crab House where we were served platters of whole crabs. Matt really relished smashing those crabs. And - it was Matt's first time flying. Matt, Brittany, Mom, & Dad also enjoyed a spontaneous trip to South Dakota where Matt impressed everyone with his hiking and climbing abilities in the Badlands!

Matthew was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. Matthew's favorite pets were the family Labrador Retrievers, Rika and Tia. They were best friends for 10 years.

Matthew passed away on March 5, 2011 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He had fought a brave battle against hydrocephalus and shunt problems.

Matthew brought joy to all of those around him and was always willing to help anyone. Even at the end, Matt continued to help others. An organ donor through the Gift of Hope, Matt gave hope and life to three strangers and their families. Matt loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Matthew Colin Chaussey lived life to its fullest and made everyone better just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.

Matthew Colin Chaussey, age 25, beloved son of Richard and Leslie, nee Danielson, Chaussey; caring brother of Christopher (Amanda), Erik (Alison) and Brittany (Christopher); cherished grandson of Donald (late Charlotte) Danielson and Marie (late Gerard) Chaussey; dear nephew, uncle and cousin of many. Visitation Thursday, March 10, 2011 from 3-8 pm at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Ave., Lisle (on Rt. 53, ½ mile south of Ogden Ave. / Rt. 34). Memorial Visitation Saturday, March 12, 2011 from 10:30 am until time of Memorial Service 11:00 am at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, 815 S. Washington St., Naperville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Special Olympics, Area 2, P.O. Box 897, St. Charles, IL 60174. For info, call 630-964-9392.