Brett Arthur Matschke

Brett Arthur Matschke, of Trumbull, CT, died in his home during the afternoon of December 27, 2025, at age 62, following a hard-fought battle with brain cancer. Born on July 12, 1963, in Lake Forest, IL, to Arthur Louis Matschke and Elaine Louise Matschke, née Olson, Brett was the seventh of eight children and the youngest son. His siblings have countless fond memories of their time together. A small, cherubic Brett would “drive” his food around to hot rod noises, and ride on his eldest sister like a horse. As he got older, Brett and his youngest brother, two years his elder, spent much of their time as adolescent boys do: romping around in muddy ponds, trying to roll each other off of logs and into the water — as well as getting into verbal contests that may, on certain occasions, have escalated to exasperated slipper-throwing. But above all, those lucky enough to be loved by Brett remember his selfless devotion to others, whether helping those who had fallen on hard times, taking care of (and teasing) his younger sister as she found her place in the world, or, of course, caring for and raising his family. His children will forever cherish their memories of trips to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, befriending the staff at his favorite pizza restaurant, and following Route 66 across the country, gaining a respect for cattle guards along the way. All of this set to an impeccable soundtrack, thanks to his relentless love of music, which he shared with and passed on to friends and family alike. Brett is survived by his wife of 36 years, Sara, his two sons, Nailen and Peter, his sisters, Dawn, Gwen, and Ami, three of his brothers, Gregg (Mara), Rick, and Jeff, in-laws Laura Nailen, Michael Nailen, and Tilman Smith, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his eldest brother, Kurt. The family is deeply grateful for the care of Teresa, Yhon, and Chris of RVNAhealth throughout the last year.