Matthew Houston Fugate

Matthew Houston Fugate passed away on June 4, 2026, at the age of 34.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Matthew moved to Northern Colorado in 2013, where he completely transformed his life and built the community, career, and home that became such an important part of who he was.

Matthew had a big personality and a gift for making even the darkest days brighter. He cared deeply for people and made those around him feel loved, encouraged, and important. If Matthew knew you were struggling, he called, showed up, and stayed until you knew you weren't alone. He believed deeply in second chances and in people's ability to change their lives, something he understood through his own experiences.

Matthew was a man of faith, family, and optimism. His own journey through recovery strengthened his compassion for others facing substance use and difficult seasons. He served on the Directing Board of the Abundance Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping people struggling with substance abuse regain control of their lives and live with abundance. He helped countless people throughout his life, and the ripple effect of his support continues through the people and community he touched.

Matthew also built an accomplished career in real estate. As a small business owner and founder of The Fugate Team real estate brokerage and property management company, he built relationships throughout Northern Colorado and beyond. He was named HomeSmart's Rookie of the Year in 2017, recognized as one of Colorado Homeowner Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 agents in 2019 and 2020, named one of Fortune Magazine's Top 500 independent agents in the nation in 2020, and his impressive sales ability earned him Diamond Club status at his previous brokerage, Home Smart, in 2022. Real estate was not simply his profession. It was something he genuinely loved, and anyone who knew Matthew knew he could happily talk about it for hours.

Outside of work, Matthew had seemingly endless interests and an enormous curiosity about life. He loved mountain biking, running, jiu-jitsu, hot yoga, weightlifting, BMX, swimming, paddle boarding at Horsetooth Reservoir, wakeboarding, snowboarding, skateboarding, and longboarding. He collected records, drew, gardened, kept fish, brewed kombucha, bread baking, butter churning, “grilling and chilling” with his fiance and friends, enjoyed his sauna and cold plunge, traveled, collected things that interested him, and was always finding something new to learn, experience, or become excited about.

Matthew is survived by his fiancée, Gabrielle Judge; their beloved French Bulldogs, Eevee, Pierre, and Solana; his beloved mother, Deborah English; his father, W.H Fugate.; his brother, Coby English; and his beautiful family in Texas, along with the many friends and people around the country whose lives were made brighter because Matthew was part of them.

Matthew's life cannot be summarized by the way it ended. He was 34 years of stories, ideas, adventures, faith, mistakes, second chances, laughter, friendship, and love. His legacy lives in the people he helped and in a simple example he gave again and again: show up for people, call the friend who is struggling, encourage someone who has forgotten what they are capable of, help a stranger, give people another chance, and live abundantly.

A Catholic Mass for Matthew and his family will be held on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with a Rosary Vigil beginning at 1:00 p.m. and Mass beginning at 2:00 p.m.

A public Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Timberline Church.

Matthew's impact did not end on June 4. It lives in the people he loved, the people he helped, and every person who chooses to carry a little of his light forward.