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Matthew "Matt" Randall Alms
December 21st, 1981 - August 16th, 2026
December 21st, 1981 - August 16th, 2026
Matthew Alms Obituary
We are sad to announce the passing of our beloved family member, Matthew Randall Alms. He passed away on August 16th, 2026 in Escondido, CA. He was 44 years old at the time of his passing.
Matt was born on December 21, 1981 to William Randall Alms and Linette Arlene Gordon in Sacramento, CA. He later lived in Orange County, CA and this is where the main years of his life were spent. He was the third out of four children with 2 older sisters and one younger sister. He was also blessed with more family members throughout his lifetime including a stepmother, Jenae Mortensen, 2 stepsisters and 1 stepbrother. Matt loved all of his family and friends dearly and made his relationships an important part of his life.
At a young age Matt was bursting with energy. He was filled with a passion for life and it was contagious. His smile could brighten any room and you felt lucky when you were around him. Matt had a great sense of humor. He loved making jokes and making others laugh. He was often seen goofing off with friends and family and brought joy to everyone around him. Matt was also a gentle soul. He cared deeply for the well being of others and would go out his way to help people whenever possible.
Matt attended El Toro High School where he made great friends and lifelong memories. He was a social butterfly and everyone wanted to be around him. As a teenager he was involved in sports such as tennis and basketball and went on to become the captain of his basketball team. He was also involved in his church and attended activities throughout his youth. He was intellectually gifted and did well in his studies. He finished his high school career and graduated with the class of 2000.
Matt found joy in many other things throughout his life. He loved the beach and the ocean and it seemed to bring him great peace. He also thoroughly enjoyed vacations, specifically to Palm Springs and Palm Desert where he could bask in the sun and swim to his heart's content. He was blessed to be able to travel to some fun places throughout his adulthood including Switzerland, Spain, the Bahamas and Cabo San Lucas. Matt also loved being around animals. He had a special way with them and it was like his spirit connected with them instantly and formed a bond. He also loved music, and playing the guitar was one of his favorite pastimes. Later in his life he wrote his own music and shared it with those close to him.
Matt is survived by his father Randy, mother Linette and stepmother Jenae. He is also survived by his siblings Liz Hall, Staci VonHarten and Amanda Carter and stepsiblings Michelle Shomaker, Lauren Avenius and Justin Shomaker. They all grieve his passing and long to see him once again. We know through the blessing of Jesus Christ’s atonement that this is possible.
Matt’s family would like to thank all of those who were a friend of Matt’s during his lifetime and who reached out with condolences after hearing of his passing. Your support and friendship has meant the world to us in this dark time, and we hope we can repay the kindness and love we have felt.
To view Matt's service information please click the event link below. A password is required.
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Resting Place
Anaheim
Matt's ashes will be kept safely with his mother and father. • 33.8365932, -117.9143012
Tributes
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Benjamin Carter
Thank you to everyone who attended Matt's funeral. It brought us peace to see how many of you loved and admired him. This is collection of a few of the notes left at the service.
LeeAnn Collins
I met Matt when he was a new hire and I was in the training department at Nordstrom FSB. He was immediately everyone’s favorite new hire. Although he was the new hire to the Bank, he somehow made it feel like he was welcoming you. That’s how welcoming, kind, engaging, attentive, thoughtful, and caring he was. We created five great years of memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. We were secretly labeled “straight edge meets wild flower child.” We went to the Bahamas, where we were swarmed by flamingos. Matt taught me to be a little more free-spirited. We celebrated his birthday on a cruise to Catalina and Mexico. On that trip, he told me that worrying in life is like a rocking horse—you go back and forth, and it still doesn’t get you anywhere. I will never look at a rocking horse the same way again. Every year, we rode Dixie the elephant at the Orange County Fair. We would bike to brunch, and he always insisted on riding my pink beach cruiser. He exuded confidence and rode that pink bike loud and proud. He made other men want to ride a pink bike. He had great movie taste and would pick countless movies from the big red box at the grocery stor. He was quite the captain on our Duffy boat rides. He had a way of making you feel safe and relaxed. He loved people and animals fiercely. My rescue dog, Falkor, kept escaping, so Matt made a fence enhancement using crown molding so it would still be aesthetically pleasing. He was skilled, handy, and generous. One time, after we had pastrami sandwiches and karaoke at Benji’s, I realized I had lost the tiniest diamond earring. Matt was so determined to find it. He spent an entire day looking—and he found it. We camped our hearts away at San Onofre with Falkor, playing wiffle ball and Frisbee, fire-roasting hot dogs and making s’mores. Matt made life fun and memorable—even the simplest, quietest moments. His kindness was endless. He left a coffee, a card, a bagel, and a homemade CD of him on my doorstep. Those little gestures meant so much because they were so completely Matt. There aren’t many Matt Alms in this life. His heart was set on making the people around him feel loved, safe, welcomed, and cared for. He had a way of making ordinary moments extraordinary, and I feel incredibly lucky that I got to share five years of life, laughter, adventure, and memories with him. I will carry those memories with me for the rest of my life. And every time I see a pink beach cruiser, a rocking horse, a Duffy boat, or probably even a flamingo, I’ll think of Matt—and smile.
Jimmy Pelzel
Met Matt my freshman year of high school. I didn’t know anyone, but wallflowered for a couple weeks and met Ruben, we tried out for basketball. I saw Matt, knew Matt, way before he knew me. He was the guy, literally, charismatic and kind, able to move across social groups with ease, regardless of popularity, age, or even religion. Confident in himself, for obvious reasons, he was handsome, talented as a musician, could grow facial hair, ha, but generous with his attention and warmness well beyond what would be expected of a 14 year old boy fresh out of middle school. He was the type of kid that parents want their kids to meet in those formative years, the type of kid every parent tries to raise. Now as an adult with teenagers, I catch myself using Matt as a bench mark. It’s unconscious but it’s his influence. He’s become a guide for how I want my kids to exist as adolescents. Be passionate, find your path, take risks, love music, be kind, be sincere. Matt embodied it all. He had that rare talent where somehow he made driving an 86’ Sentra cool. He played the best music. Matt was the party, even if it was just the 2 of you. His character for the first 20 years of life is hard to reconcile with the person he was in the end, but still, wish-full thinking and muscle memory demand it. Even as he was slipping away into delusions, there were beats of magic in his words. I would catch myself diving into conspiracies and numerologies with him, honestly second guessing my own sanity out of hope Matt was still inside. Maybe he’s right. Maybe if I open my mind wide enough, it somehow leads back to the Matt we all loved. That was the power of Matt though. Worth double checking your own reality for. We miss you bud. We miss your smile, and your sense of humor. We miss your music and your company. Rest in peace.
Mike Curry
Sorry to hear about Matt's passing. Had the pleasure to coach him in the Young Men's Stake Basketball league which we won thanks to him. What a cool, kind, and talented dude. Grateful to have known him and witness his good heart and sweet spirit. I know the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and God has a loving and merciful plan. With much love, Mike Curry
Kristen Toone (Brown)
Matt was one of my close friends in high school. We spent so much time playing guitar together in my garage/music room and loved to watched scary movies. I can still picture the funny side eye he’d give me when I was being a goofball and he was trying to act too cool. Being around him was easy and so much fun. Matt was good all the way to his core. He was a good person with a beautiful heart. Toward the end of his life, his mind made it harder for him to show that side of himself, and in some ways, I began mourning him long before he passed. But those that love him and know him well will never forgot who he truly was. I’ll miss his easygoing personality, his friendship, his darling smile and his love for Kentucky fried chicken Mac and Cheese. Love you Matt
Christina Coyle
Matt was a good friend of mine in High School. He went to many church dances, school formals and activities with our friends group. I remember he always wore his signature bow tie to dances. We went to many of his basketball games and cheered him on. He was a great basketball player. He loved to dance and play the guitar. I remember he used to like to take time to make personalized mixed cassette tapes (back when you had to record the songs from the radio) and give them away as thoughtful gifts. He had a contagious smile and was a compassionate and kind person. He had a charismatic personality that naturally lit up any room. I will forever hold on to the fond memories I have of him. My heart goes out to his family as they remember him during this difficult time of loss. I know he will be welcomed at Heaven’s gate by our Savior. He is loved and will be deeply missed.
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