Matthew Williams-Bland

Matthew Allen Bland – Williams  was born on  April 24, 1994 in Kansas City, Missouri to Pamela D. Bland and Roger A. Williams.  He was a lifelong Kansas Citian, splitting his time between Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS.  

As a child, Matthew was baptized by Rev. Emanuel Cleaver, II at St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, MO. He attended Academy Lafayette Elementary School, Eisenhower Middle School and Lincoln College Preparatory High School, ultimately receiving his GED,  all in Kansas City, MO.   He was a lively and rambunctious child, active with the Boys & Girls Clubs and sports, including baseball and football. 

After completing his formal education, Matthew worked several jobs, including Ford Motor Company.  But in his heart, Matthew was a serial entrepreneur.  He started his love for entrepreneurship by selling Mexican Candy in elementary school.  At the age of 12, Matthew successfully converted a bike to operate with electricity rather than gas.  At the time of his passing, Matthew maintained several businesses including an auto restoration resale business.   

Matthew was a smart, inquisitive independent thinker who preferred to chart his own course in life.  If you were around Matthew, you might frequently find yourself considering deep philosophical questions about life, love and religion. He often sought out “experts” to gain perspective on life choices and plans for the future.  His curiosity for life encouraged his love of the Discovery Channel fueling his quest for knowledge and expertise for family debates.

Not only was Matthew smart, he was creative and artistic. His range of talent was vast – including dog training, painting, horticulture, and photography.  He truly believed “SnapChat” was made specifically for him.  On a recent trip to Jamaica to be a part of his big sister Brooke’s (cousin) wedding, Matthew was never far from the camera, posing and taking hundreds of photos and videos. 

Matthew was born a conversationalist with a playful spirit.  He was a spontaneous person who loved to travel and move to his own beat. He was very caring and loyal to his family and friends. He would lend a hand and dig trenches, train their pets, move boxes and paint rooms, if it was a way for him to support his friends and family.  Matthew had a way of making everyone feel special, his friends and family described him to be a true light.

Matthew leaves behind his mother, Pamela D. Bland; father, Roger A. Williams; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who all loved him dearly and will miss him fiercely.  He was preceded in death by his grandmothers ,Sen. Mary Groves Bland, Irene Elizabeth Williams and great aunt Judith A. Groves.

Matthew was deeply spiritual and his family believes he would ask each of us to celebrate his life, not mourn his death and remember him fondly smiling, laughing and taking selfies. 

The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.

— Joseph Campbell
Services will be held Saturday, August 1, 2020 at 2 pm at Watkins Heritage Chapel. Visitation 1 pm.at the Chapel.

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