Matthew Henry Cieslak

Matthew Henry Cieslak was born March 29, 1983 to Henry and Brenda Cieslak in Sandy, Utah. Matt was a very energetic, inquisitive, and happy child. He asked very deep, philosophical questions from a very young age. As a Kindergartner, he asked if ants had memory banks! Matt has always been the champion of the underdog. He would sit by the kids that didn’t have a friend at lunch, and stand up for the kid that was bullied. Matt was always active. Usually bouncing off the walls. He loved to ride his bike and play in the sandbox building elaborate car tracks and scare his mom with grasshoppers. He loved his siblings. He was the oldest of 5, with 3 sisters and one brother, Carlee, Melissa, Spencer and Tiffany. When he was in junior high his family moved from Utah to Salem Idaho. He attended school in the Sugar Salem school district. He was active in sports, and he loved being involved in jazz band and swing choir. He didn’t have a particular friend group and was friends with everyone. He graduated with Sugar Salem High School’s class of 2001. 

 He always had a warrior spirit and joined the Idaho Army National Guard in January of 2001 while he was still in high school. When he took the ASVAB, the recruiter was blown away by his exceptionally high score of 98. He wanted to help people and chose to be a medic. He excelled in this position due to intelligence, but he was an extraordinary medic because of the love he had for the people he administered to. Matt had the opportunity to serve in the 148th Field Artillery, part of the 116th Brigade Combat Team and deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005. In September of 2008, he transferred to the Utah National Guard and was a part of the 197th Special Troops Company. This unit sent him to Airborne school and then to Fort Bragg to complete the Special Operation Combat Medic Course. After becoming a SOCM he was deployed to Afghanistan attached to the 7th Special Forces Group in 2009. When the 197th moved out of state, he became a part of F Company in the 19th Special Forces Group Support Battalion. He did two tours to Afghanistan attached to 3rd Special Forces Group. One in 2013 and then another in 2015. He also did multiple peace keeping and humanitarian missions throughout the world. He humbly received many awards and honorable mentions throughout his service, which he preferred not to talk about. He loved the brothers and sisters in arms that he served with. So many of them have become family. 

 Matt met Tesha in February of 2003 in Rexburg Idaho. They became best friends and would spend hours talking about everything and nothing at the same time. They bonded over their love of music. Matt was drawn to Tesha’s love of family. They dated for 3 years before getting married on June 24, 2006. They decided to have kids quick and Jaxton and Olivia were a part of the family in no time. Matt absolutely loved his kids and took them on crazy adventures. He loved dancing in the kitchen, late night x-box battles, and hours on the soccer field were just the norm. He always tried to make each day and experience a lesson his kids could grow from. Matt loved Tesha and Jax and Liv more than anything! He would have given them the world if he could. 

 Matt had so many hobbies and interests! “A jack of all is a master of none, but still always better than a master of one.” He had such a deep love of playing soccer, but more recently, with physical limitations, he found passion in coaching. He loved those kids that he coached! At any family gathering, you could find Matt holding one of the babies or wrestling all of the nieces and nephews. Every one of them adored him! He loved animals so much, especially his dogs, Teddy and Ellie, and his cat Meitz. Music was always playing around him. He loved all genres and could sing with the best at karaoke. His natural skill to harmonize let him sing along to everything. He loved being outdoors, floating the river, singing around a fire pit, and cooking and eating good food with family and friends.

 If you knew Matt, you knew true love. Matt loved so deeply. Sometimes to a fault. He protected his own. He was everyone's wing man. He always lent a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear. He gave the best advice. His hugs were legendary and memorable. He always had a story to tell, and he told them loud! Some were intense, but most were hilarious. He could get a crowd laughing to the point you couldn’t breathe and were in tears. Matt was HUGE – Physically, emotionally, and mentally. It seems like everyone has a story to tell about Matt. 

 Matt was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is going to be so deeply missed in this life, but the knowledge that he is with his Savior, Jesus Christ, and free from his earthly troubles brings the ones who love him so much comfort. Heaven gained a special guardian angel, who will not only be watching over his family, but over all those he loves here on Earth. 

Matt is survived by his wife Tesha, son Jaxton, daughter Olivia, his parents, Henry and Brenda Cieslak, sister Carlee Carpenter (Curt,) sister Melissa Olsen (Ben,) brother Spencer Cieslak (Patricia,) sister Tiffany Thornley (Nick,) In-laws Griff and Sonia Davis, sister-in-law Molly Vranes (Brian,) sister-in-law Heather Lopez (Jesse,) and brother-in-law Tanner Davis (Bailey,) and all of his many nieces and nephews that he loved so much. He is also survived by 3 grandmas, Carole Ziegler, Virginia Hamp, and LaRetta Davis

 An evening viewing will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, 1 2022 at Wilks Funeral Home, 211 West Chubbuck Road Chubbuck, Idaho. A funeral service will be held in his honor at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, April 1, 2022 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 973 North Rapid Creek Road in Inkom, Idaho. A public viewing will be held at the church earlier that morning from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Immediately following will be a private family viewing from 10:00-11:00 a.m. Interment will follow the service at the Inkom City Cemetery where full military honors will be rendered.

A webcast of the service will be available on this page.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family under the "Tribute Wall" tab above.