Matthew Stephen Blair

Matthew had many loves and was planning for big dreams. As a child, the family dog, a golden retriever named Hunter, was his best friend. There are many photos of Matthew doing adorable things with Hunter, including putting sunglasses on him. Matthew enjoyed spending his time gaming online with friends and playing board games with family members. He loved the outdoors, and upon moving to Phoenix, he aspired to hike many of the trails in the area, and especially loved the desert mountain views the area is known for. Within a few days of moving to Phoenix, he and his cousin Zach convinced the family to drive to the top of South Mountain where we were all awed by the views of the city and the sunset.

Another of Matthew’s passions was his military service. He joined the Illinois Army National Guard while a junior in high school, and recently was promoted to the rank of Specialist. He aspired to continue his training with the goal of piloting helicopters – his plan was to honor his Grandpa Bill’s military service career (26 years) by matching and exceeding his service length.

Matthew got a job at a local retail store earlier this year, and his managers quickly recognized his high work ethic, resulting in Matthew’s promotion to a team lead role.

Matthew loved driving. When Matthew’s family moved from Illinois to Arizona last year, he insisted on driving the entire trip, even though the family caravan had multiple extra drivers available.

Matthew was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, William Blair and Bonita (Rozmarynowski) Blair, whom he missed dearly. Matthew is survived by his mother Stephanie Blair, his brother David Blair, his father David Goelz, his aunts and uncle Shannon Blair, Sarah Blair, Scott and Jennifer Blair, his cousins Anna Blair and Zachary Blair, and many great aunts and uncles and cousins. In lieu of flowers please consider a small donation to help with funeral expenses.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Green Acres Mortuary & Cemetery, 401 North Hayden Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 85257, on June 12, 2026, beginning at 10:00 am.