Matthew Ryan Was

Matthew Ryan Was, died July 11, 2024, at Hospice of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona due to complications from stage four bile duct cancer.

At 35 years old, Matt filled his life with world travels, golfing, meditation and an abundance of friendship and love for his family. He is survived by his wife, Kristina Was; mother, Barbara Bodine; stepfather, Lance Bodine; his younger brother, Seth Bodine; grandmother, Donna Miller; and biological father, Michael Was.

Matt was born April 12, 1989, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Growing up, he enjoyed playing little league baseball, practicing taekwondo, collecting Pokemon cards and playing his Nintendo Gameboy. He lived his most fundamental years in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In high school, he played on his varsity golf team at St. Pius X Catholic High School.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management and a prestigious leadership program with AT&T, he then landed his first job in San Diego as a store manager. He moved to the Phoenix metro when he was recruited into the corporate housing industry, where he spent the majority of his career. He worked at Nomad Temporary Housing and his final years as head of mobility partnerships at Blueground.

Matt met his wife, Kristina, in San Diego where they quickly fell in love and began dating. In 2020, Matt and Kris moved into their home in Mesa, Arizona, and married in 2021. They lived with their two beloved dogs, Simon and Ziggy.

Matt was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma in July 2023 — an aggressive and rare form of cancer. He documented his journey with the disease on his caring bridge site. Along with chemotherapy trips, he still made time to travel with his wife, his brother and his friends. The destinations this year include: Grand Canyon, Sitgreaves National Forest, San Diego, the fieldsite of the Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles, New York, London, Las Vegas, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal.

When he wasn’t traveling, Matt practiced holistic health, played golf, went to Electronic dance music concerts and followed financial markets. Matt said cancer was the hardest thing he’d ever encountered in his life, but he wasn’t afraid. During a conversation recorded by his younger brother, Seth, he gave one last piece of big brother advice:

“To focus on love, because love is the only thing that matters in this world, whether it’s your worst enemy or the person that you love the most. That love is what makes the world go around and everything that you do every single day should be in the name of love.”

With love, we fondly remember Matt; a loyal husband, a loving son, a caring brother and a dear friend to many.