Paul T. Matonis

Paul Matonis left this earth on November 29, 2024, at the age of 72, after his brave six-month battle with a rare form of leukemia. He spent his last days at home surrounded by family. Paul was a loving husband, father, and friend, a hardworking tax accountant, talented musician, avid bike rider, mountain adventurer, dedicated Cubs fan, and all-around great guy. His family and friends described him as kind, gentle, eternally optimistic, family-focused, hardworking, industrious, creative, and incredibly handy with a roll of duct tape and some twist ties. Paul was born in Elmhurst, Illinois on March 31, 1952, and raised in Villa Park by wonderful parents George and Jane Matonis along with his four siblings, George, Rita, Robin, and Greg. He was a sweet child who loved his family, playing with other kids in the neighborhood, and watching Yogi Bear. Paul enlisted in the Army and served in Germany as a cartographer and printer from 1970 to 1973 before moving from the Chicago suburbs to Fort Collins in 1979. Paul married Pam Shanahan on July 24, 1983, after knowing each other for eight years. Paul told his daughters that the foundation of a strong marriage is friendship, and he and Pam not only loved each other but sincerely enjoyed each other’s company. They honeymooned to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, which was the first of many adventurous camping trips during their 41-year-long marriage. Paul and Pam bought their dream home on Mountain Avenue in 1984 where they raised their daughters Megan and Melissa. After becoming empty nesters, Paul and Pam initiated annual trips for new adventures after the October tax deadline, including trips to Zion, Glacier, Banff and Jasper National Parks, Hawai’i, and countless hikes in the Poudre Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park. While working full-time as an auto-mechanic, Paul took it upon himself to study at night to pass the enrolled agent exam and begin a new career as a tax accountant, all while helping to raise his young daughters. He built his own business from the ground up in 1994 with partners Mary and Jim, and he hired his star employee (and wife), Pam, in 1999, with the secondary benefit of allowing Pam and Paul to see each other during the busy tax season. Paul was so proud of his work and so dedicated to his clients that even the week of his passing, he was still talking about getting back to the office to wrap things up. Prior to his leukemia diagnosis, Paul rode his bike to and from work every day in sunshine, wind, rain, and white-out blizzard conditions. He would come home with frozen icicles in his beard and tell Pam that his ride was “fantastic.” In his free time, Paul enjoyed hiking and mountain biking with his wife Pam, playing guitar and harmonica on the front porch, for which he earned the nickname the “Mountain Avenue Minstrel,” and doing home projects with his daughters. Unforgettable trips to Mexico in 2002, Hawai’i in 2015, Italy in 2019, and Ireland in 2023 created lifelong memories his family will cherish forever. Frequent trips to the Binkley-Higgins’ cabin in Pingree Park were special escapes from the daily grind, and Paul would wake up early every morning to search for moose in the valley. Other standout adventures included bike riding the White Rim in Utah’s Canyonlands National Park and rafting the Grand Canyon. He was always up for an adventure! Paul loved family above all. He adored his sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and second cousins from the Shanahan Clan. Paul glowed with pride when he and Pam walked Melissa down the aisle for her marriage to Joe Kole in September 2021. Paul and his son-in-law formed a special bond and had many deep conversations about fatherhood and home projects. One of the most important moments of Paul’s life was when his daughter Lisa Braesel, who was adopted by wonderful parents Walter and Penny in 1976, reached out to him after being matched with his cousin Janet on Ancestry.com. Paul, Pam, Megan, and Melissa fell in love with Lisa and her husband Joe Rundle and visited them several times in Illinois. Lisa and Joe came out to Colorado for Melissa and Joe Kole’s baby shower in August 2024. Paul was thrilled to see his family grow when he became “Pops” for almost six weeks to his first granddaughter, darling Dillon Paulina, and he enjoyed holding and reading to her from his hospice bed at home. Paul is preceded in death by his parents, George and Jane Matonis, and his brother, Robin. Paul is survived by Pam, the love of his life, and his three daughters, Megan, Melissa married to Joe Kole, and Lisa married to Joe Rundle, and three honorary children—his niece Lauren Bomke, who affectionately referred to him as Uncle Dad, and Will and Paul Binkley, who grew up with Megan and Melissa and played the role of sons in his life. He also leaves behind his granddaughter Dillon, siblings George, Rita, and Greg and wife Val, nephew Kevin and his family, dear family friends Dan and Jane, vocal coach Susan, Mountain Avenue neighbors, and countless friends and clients who respected, admired, and loved him dearly. In his last days, Paul dictated the following: “Dearest family and friends—I wanted you to know how much you enriched my life. Through this scary time, your love has helped sustain me. Knowing you all has been a thrill. A real thrill.” We would like to thank the UCHealth Cancer center, the oncology and ICU staff at Poudre Valley Hospital, the Pathways hospice staff, and Abby and Jess with the CSU music therapy program for their tender, quality care they provided to Paul during the month-long stay in the hospital and week-long hospice experience at home. Your kindness made this impossible time more bearable for Paul and his family. We recognize and appreciate the challenging work you do for people in their time of need. If your heart desires, please make a donation to one of these amazing organizations in Paul’s honor. The holidays will always be especially hard without Paul who loved filling our home with Christmas music. We hope you will share in his love of music and enjoy the holiday album he recorded in December 2023. Visit https://www.flyasakite.com/pauls-christmas-music-videos-5/ to enjoy. To his family, Paul will always be the mountains, starry night skies, and folk music blowing in the wind. Please join us for a celebration of Paul's beautiful life on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 1:00pm. Our celebration will be held at the Spring Canyon Park Creekside Shelters - 3074 S. Overland Trail, Fort Collins, CO 80526. Drive west on Drake Rd until it dead-ends on Overland Trail. Turn left (south) and park in the second parking lot. Follow the paved path over the river to the two large shelters. Bring your instruments if you want to jam out in honor of Paul after the ceremony.