Matthew Eli von Ohlen

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von Ohlen, Matthew Eli age 35, of Brooklyn, New York, formerly of San Francisco and Minneapolis, was fatally struck in a hit and run collision while riding his bicycle home from work in the early morning of July 2. Matthew was born on February 5, 1981, in Columbus, Ohio. He attended Lake Country Day School and South High in Minneapolis. During his senior year of high school, he spent six months in Ghana working as an AFS volunteer in a school for developmentally disabled children. Matthew graduated with a B.A. from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2003, where he majored in anthropology and minored in studio art. He moved to San Francisco in 2005 and to New York in 2011, pursuing his dual careers in music, with the bands Triple Cobra and Ayles, among others, and the hospitality industry. He was committed to cycling as an alternative form of transportation and with several partners, he founded Bikestock, which provides vending machines and bicycle repair kiosks on routes used by cyclists. In his short life Matt was surrounded by good friends and loved by many. His open and accepting nature, his ability to listen to others, and his curiosity and wit endeared him to everyone he met. His bright light went out too soon, too tragically, and our world is a little darker now. In accordance with his wishes, Matthew was cremated, and his ashes will be scattered in places around the world. Matthew is survived by his parents, Joan von Ohlen and Bernt von Ohlen, both of Minneapolis; his grandmother Dorothy Katz of Westmont, New Jersey; uncles, aunts, and cousins; his Ghanaian family; and a host of friends throughout the US and in several other countries. A gathering to celebrate Matthew's life and honor his memory will be held on Saturday, August 6, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in the Great Room at the Carlyle, 100 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis. No flowers; donations preferred: Transportation Alternatives (transalt.org), Lawrence University, or AFS Intercultural Programs.

Published on July 31, 2016