Matthew David Appleby

Matthew David Appleby, age 39, passed away Monday, May 2, 2022 in his home surrounded by loved ones after a courageous 3+ year battle with stage 4 brain cancer. Matthew was born March 31, 1983 in Vallejo CA, growing up in Yountville, where he attended Yountville Elementary, Redwood Middle School, Vintage High and graduated from New Technology High School in 2001. He spent a happy childhood participating in local youth sports with his brothers and spent many hours playing in the neighborhood with all the local children where a ball game would always break out at one of nearby homes. On the weekends, you could find Matt traveling to local dog shows, where he showed the family Boxer dogs, always bringing home ribbons to show for his efforts. Matt also had a love for speed and owned many bikes, which he used daily to deliver the Napa Valley Register to the local residents. For many years, Matt & his 2 brothers, delivered papers to the entire town of Yountville. Matt’s love for wheels did not fade and before he was legal to drive, he bought his own racing Go-Kart with this earnings from his paper route. He raced Go-Karts all over Northern California and enjoyed sharing his love of racing with the entire family. Matt had a good work ethic and enjoyed collecting ‘things’. Whether it was a new bike, another watch or a new go-kart, Matt never shied away from working to earn extra money to buy his next ‘treasure’. At the age of 15, while riding his bike around the Town of Yountville, he noticed a new restaurant about to open; he walked in, introduced himself and was hired on the spot! This was the start of Matt’s restaurant career where he worked as a busser and/or server at just about every restaurant in Yountville. He quickly saved his earnings and when he turned 16, he received his drivers license and proudly purchased a 1975 Corvette before his next birthday! Cars were his passion and he bought and sold many vehicles during his lifetime. Matt worked in the restaurant business for several years before starting work at EnviroCare International in American Canyon. He stayed there a short time before landing a job at CPA Valet (Certified Parking Attendants) in Novato. Matt held the title of Director of Special Events for over 15 years and worked hundreds of events each year around the Napa Valley. Matt held the title of Director of Special Events for over 15 years and worked hundreds of events each year around the Napa Valley. On any given day, Matt could be found directing traffic or parking vehicles anywhere in the Napa Valley. Whether you were dining at Cole’s Chop House or attending a major charity event, Matt would be there to greet you with a smile. Matt had a large presence in the hospitality industry and will be sorely missed my his clients. Matt was a man of faith and he and his family are active members at Grace Church of Napa Valley. This is where he met and married the love of his life, his wife Caren Appleby. They celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary last month by taking a cruise with their son Christopher. Another passion Matt had in his life was baseball and he was an avid fan of the sport and a proud Dodger fan. Growing up in the Bay Area, he was always asked, “Why are you a Dodgers fan?” Matt would simply answer, “Because I was raised right!” After he was diagnosed with Brain Cancer in October 2018, Matt went on a journey to visit as many MLB baseball stadiums as he could, traveling with various family and friends to California, Arizona, Washington, Colorado, Texas, New York, Boston, and Canada! The trips where all very special to him and he enjoyed collecting memorabilia from each of stadiums he visited. Of course, Dodger stadium was one of his favorites and he had the honor to actually go onto the field and meet a few of the players, this was a lasting memory for him and the family. Matt also actively participated in his son’s little league teams each year, whether as a base coach or scorekeeper, he always supported his love of the game. Two years prior to his diagnosis with brain cancer, Matt became an avid runner and successfully trained & completed many long distance races. His crowning glory, was his successful completion of the RunDisney, Dopey Challenge, which involved a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, and Full Marathon in a 4-day span! He trained hard and his family and friends cheered him across the finish line! He also had a great fondness for board/card games and would never turn down the opportunity to play. He was known for his love of Monopoly, which he usually won and as time progressed nobody would play against him! Matt also enjoyed bowling, playing on several leagues and earned the crowning achievement of bowling a perfect game of 300! Matt was a good natured family man and we will all miss his quick & witty sense of humor. He would always answer the question of “How are you doing?” with a resounding “FANTASTIC!“ and this statement was heard coming from his mouth just a few days prior to his passing. Matt’s strength, courage and faith never wavered during his fight and can be compared to nothing less than a true warrior. He is survived by his wife Caren Appleby of Fairfield, CA, son Christopher Appleby (13yrs), parents Patrick & Ruth Appleby of Yountville, CA, brother Richard Appleby (Christina) of Napa, CA, twin brother Eric Appleby (Michela) of American Canyon, CA, and nieces & nephew: Paige, Claire, Grace, Ryan, & Emma. He is preceded in death by his beloved grandmother Dorothy Hart. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation can be made to the donors choice or to the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center https://giving.ucsf.edu/funds/cancer to help further research in finding a cure for the Glioblastoma Brain Tumor. The family wishes to extend love and gratitude to everyone who supported Matt and the family throughout his cancer journey. You are invited to attend Matt’s Celebration of Life which is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at 2pm at Grace Church of Napa Valley, in Napa CA. The family requests you wear something blue for Matt’s love of the Dodgers!

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