Matthew Zollinger

Our dear Matthew — a doting husband, amazing father, endearing son, and the best brother — was taken from us too early. He died on July 20th. He is survived by his wife, Chalene Marla Zollinger; his beloved children, Margot, Charles, Vaughn, and Dietrich; his parents, C. Jeffrey Zollinger (Mary Zollinger) and Kristin Beyer (Paul Beyer); his sisters, Magan Baldwin (Eric Baldwin) and Lauren Zollinger (Robert Jones); and his step-siblings, Andy Clark (Lynne Clark), Rachel Clark, Leslie Hurst (Mitch Hurst), Melissa Chapman, and Krissy Beyer.

He was the younger brother of two older sisters who constantly mothered him. In spite of our worries, Matt managed to suck the marrow out of life. He was the baby of a big family that doubled in size when he was a teenager, and he entertained us all.

Matt’s wild spirit, imagination, and energy attracted a cast of amazing friends who accompanied him on adventures most of us would consider impossible. Somehow, Matt always got away with it — mostly thanks to his wit and charm. Most of us learned what he’d been up to through his own retelling, in stories that made our eyes bulge with disbelief. One adventure to Echo reservoir led to a serious back injury that caused temporary paralysis in his legs. His buddies couldn’t drive a stick shift, so Matt drove himself home somehow. That injury caused him unimaginable daily pain, which he hid from all of us behind a smile — a pattern that continued as he battled an aggressive form of lymphoma and other cumulative chronic illnesses. Through it all, Matt kept going, constantly cared for by his wife and family, and he never complained until it became too much.

Matt graduated from East High School, where he was a master salesman from an early age. He used his talents, good looks, and an endless knowledge of Jedi Mind Tricks to earn his diploma despite missing 60 days of school his senior year while living it up. Matt was, in fact, always the smartest person in the room. He received a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University Idaho and later a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Westminster College. He was also Chalene’s biggest cheerleader and study buddy during her time at Penn State’s law school. He used his knowledge of law and psychology to be the most accomplished salesman Prestman Auto has ever seen, will never be replicated.

Matt’s passions were many: music, golf, Star Wars, baking cheesecake, fireworks, and Disneyland. He started a band with no musical experience alongside his best friends, and many of us were subjected to the soothing tunes of “Crosseyed and Painless.”

He served an LDS mission in Arcadia, California, where he proudly worked Star Wars lingo into his farewell speech before endearing himself to the people of Los Angeles. Matt was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, most recently serving in the Stake Young Men’s presidency as a leader to the youth.

Matt met his match — his eternal partner, Chalene Marla Zollinger — in 2003. On their first date, he bought her a Diet Coke at a Harry Potter movie, and that was all it took. Matt and Chalene were married on 12/26/2005 in a beautiful service, gaining even more wonderful family through their union. They were sealed for time and eternity on 12/27/2006 in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Matthew’s kids were his world. He dove headfirst into their lives — helping with science projects, sports, music, and epic Halloween costumes. He was so proud of their achievements, talents, and individual strengths, and he poured all his energy into providing for them and making their world magical, despite fighting cancer and chronic pain.

Everyone knows how special Matthew is, and his spirit and memory will always be with us.

Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2215 E. Roosevelt Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah. There will be a visitation from 9:30 to 10:45 am, prior to the service. For those unable to attend, services will be streamed via Zoom. Services in Utah will be under the direction of Larkin Mortuary.

Graveside service will be held 11:00 Thursday, July 30, 2026, at the Rexburg Cemetery.