TBH Lost A Legend Yesterday...Prayers Please

[Cameron]

It is still hard to type out my thoughts, I feel there are no amount of words that can really honor Matt and what he has meant to my life the last 12 years.

It's weird, I've been incredibly lucky to make it this far in my life without a tragic, unexpected loss of someone this close to me and I'm struggling.

I'll miss the late night texts, the barrage youtube live music links and the big laugh. All those beers and jokes, stories about the girls.

I just keep reading old text messages and going through pictures and the one thing that sticks with me is how lucky we are. Not just with Matt, but with a lot of the brotherhood we get to experience in our lives. I thought I had another 40 years with him, but now it's become so clear to me that the only time we have, we've already spent.

Tell your friends you love them, take the extra time to send that text, make that call or even better...show up.

Like many here have said, I plan to be there for Steph and the girls as much and as often as they need me.

In an attempt to stop the rambling, I'll post one of my favorite photography moments, when Matt just gave up on trying to wrangle the girls for a family photo and just let the chaos happen around him.

I love you, buddy...see you on the other side.

[Dale Moser]

TBH Lost A Legend Yesterday...Prayers Please

It is still hard to type out my thoughts, I feel there are no amount of words that can really honor Matt and what he has meant to my life the last 12 years.

It's weird, I've been incredibly lucky to make it this far in my life without a tragic, unexpected loss of someone this close to me and I'm struggling.

I'll miss the late night texts, the barrage youtube live music links and the big laugh. All those beers and jokes, stories about the girls.

I just keep reading old text messages and going through pictures and the one thing that sticks with me is how lucky we are. Not just with Matt, but with a lot of the brotherhood we get to experience in our lives. I thought I had another 40 years with him, but now it's become so clear to me that the only time we have, we've already spent.

Tell your friends you love them, take the extra time to send that text, make that call or even better...show up.

Like many here have said, I plan to be there for Steph and the girls as much and as often as they need me.


I love you, buddy...see you on the other side.

[ATTACH]1047494[/ATTACH]

Same, amigo.....every word.

It took A LOT of chaos, for Matt not to BE the chaos.

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[Rj Flores]

God bless

[AtTheWall]

Prayers and condolences up - tragic and sad.

Been through way too many of these here and personally.

[ShockValue]

Awful news...prayers for his family and friends. I never met him but he's one of the long time/old time TBHers that you always felt like you knew.

[BOWERIK]

I like some others have been trying to put my feelings into words. I have only been able to post a few pictures and some short stories. I still cannot discuss it or put into spoken words without breaking up and falling apart. Writing this is hard enough.

Like most here my first interaction was through Bownanza, maybe 2008 I don’t really remember, but for 8 years after that we were inseparable. Matt use to call me Gramps, even at 38 I was still E or Gramps. He was there at my 40th surprise party and was a center of attention without trying to be and making fun of all of us old folks. Travis’s ranch was our main meeting place but through the years it was the coast, New Braunfels, Vegas, Cowboy’s game, or dove hunts.

We hadn’t seen each other in way too long but would always end up getting a random late-night text or picture of his daughter’s wade fishing or hunting. Matt and I shared a ride from San Saba to Lampasas in 2010 after a blown hog hunt and an argument with the landowner about something the landowners buddy had said to someone in our party. That discussion during those few hours between just the two of us would shape what Matt would become in the future, not because I say so but because of what Matt would always tell me and my wife reminding me every time we would see each other.

We spoke in January after Erv had passed and I told him how sorry I was that I had not made time to see him, and as Matt only could; he would laugh and tell me we are good and that we would make up that lost time.

I told him how much I missed sharing a fire with him and if we could make sure we got that on the schedule even if it was next hunting season, I would be good, and he agreed. I am glad for that last conversation and I am broken hearted by that last conversation thinking there would be enough time for all of us.

For Steph and the girls, I can’t imagine, and another reason why this I so hard. They have a deep pool of friends that I hope they are able to find support for now and the future. I may post a few more pictures throughout the future on this and I will shed a tear every time I do. Love you and will always miss you Matt Patek.

[Paycheck]

How sad. God bless everyone.

[spur]

I didn't know him but from the comments I have no doubt he was a top shelf guy. He left a large family of good friends and I pray his family somehow finds some peace and comfort. I wish I had something to say to make this better. After 60 years of living and learning I sadly have nothing. Remember the good times and those who can check on his loved ones. They will need you.

[rcjunky007]

Prayers for his family. RIP brother.

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[Buckshot4900]

Praying for the family that they will lean on the one who knows all.
God can bring peace in the hardest times.
RIP Brother


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[MassMan]

Rough. Unexpected loss at a young age is one of the toughest pitches life deals. Pray for those girls.

[cantexduck]

Matt Patek was a special person . Like many have said above he went from someone you knew to a friend quicker then anyone I have met. No matter how much time passed between calls or texts it was always like we had just talked 5 min ago. My heart breaks for Steph and the girls. One of the very few people who call me Mikey. One of kind.

[cantexduck]

Maybe 12 years ago.





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[Dale Moser]

TBH Lost A Legend Yesterday...Prayers Please

You dudes who are really struggling with this, know that you are not alone. I’ve been essentially worthless all week. My friend group that Matt endeared himself to so quickly, is a bunch of otherwise hardasses, and they’re a **** show too. I call it a testament to the man our brother was.

The first time I met Matt was at an early Bownanza. We had bantered back and forth on here, and argued about some stuff (probably music, bows, or something goofy), because Matt liked to argue about as much as I do. I was at the nanza having stayed up all night, just choked down a daylight tequila shot at Legdog’s insistence (as was custom when the pit was lit), and was nursing a D-Wayne Bloody Mary. I see a crew unload from a truck and come dragging a cooler in, looking collectively like death eatin a dry cracker. I recognized a couple guys but had no idea who was what. I noticed as they came across the parking lot that all were chugging gatorade and water...except one. That one had a baby blue in his hand, made eye contact with me, and immediately split off from the group toward me. He walked right up and said “you’re Moser, I’m Matt Patek, and we need to drink some beer!” And stuck out his paw. The handshake was not so much as over and another Lone Star Light appeared in his hand, which he opened and handed to me. It was all I could do to get the first drink down...40 minutes later we were 3 more beers in each, and I felt like I was talking to an old friend. It was surreal. We had a bunch more after that.

It wasn’t until probably 6 years later until we wound up on a common group text because of Jason Smart, months later we were at my deer lease skinning Abryn’s 1st doe, they moved to N. Texas, and it was over. We were at deer camp, we were downtown partying with the wives, we were at Rockport, and Crystal Beach with the families...All my friends were his friends, our dads were fishing buddies, my mom begged me to make them come to thanksgiving.

Almost nightly Rangers/Stros texts, what the kids are doing texts, we are so lucky to have awesome wives...texts, and endless youtube music texts. I still half expect one to roll in around 6:05 every night.

I can find no good in any of this, but it’s warmed my heart to read stories from so many on here that are so similar. How often does a man have to make a new friend, how does a man meet so many people who are so positively impacted by having met him, how many parties can a guy be the life of....and how many people can a man invite fishing...only a life cut short could stop him.

That is just who Matt was. He never had to fake it.

Having to tell my son, who absolutely adored Matt, about this, was easily the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. The sheer shock and pure sadness in his face as he broke down, only confirmed what we all know. All I could tell him was to appreciate the time we had, and pray for “the girls”. I’m still at a loss for what to tell him further, but he sees it in my face all week, and he knows..

My heart breaks for “my” girls, I’m miserable for what Steph will have to endure, I’m furious for what we will all miss out on, and I am at an absolute loss for what to say to our brother Weeaks...who has lost a huge part of his world! But mostly...I just miss my brother.

I catch myself expecting a text, or thinking about the trips we had planned for the kids, and it breaks my heart every time I remember..

I’ll always miss you Matteo. I will try to love your family like you did. I will try to be the friend that you were. I will fail at both, but I will try. I’ll see you when the time comes...and I will look forward to it until then.

I love you brother, we will do our best.


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[Artos]

I'm sorry fellas...wish I had the words too. I knew Matt for only a weekend & see some of the same chaps chiming in that I only got to know on the same couple of days. I'm feeling it & barely knew him but what a lasting impression. The only thing I can say is time is your best friend & it's simply early on.

Music has always been able to time stamp a moment in my noggin...this song came up while surfing & recall it branding me when it came up on the radio while pulling into the funeral home to let go of my former compadre and deer lease buddy who lost his battle with cancer. I've found it oddly comforting overtime when it surfaces even though it tears me up. Saludos...

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