Matthew J. Sprague
February 06, 1990 - May 10, 2012
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Matthew J. Sprague
February 06, 1990 - May 10, 2012
Obituary
Matthew Joseph Sprague
February, 6 1990 May 10, 2012
Matthew is survived by his mother Paula Mugavero, step father Dave Mugavero, and step brother Chad Mugavero, father Brian Sprague, step mother Janice Sprague, brother Michael Sprague, and sister Georgia Sprague, grandparents Dolores and Roland LaRue, grandmother Ann Sprague, and grandparents Lou and Don Gibbs. He is a beloved son, brother, and grandson to his family, and dear friend to many.
Matthew was a very loving person with a huge heart who had a positive effect on his family and friends. He was always willing to help someone in need if he could. He loved the outdoors, the mountains, and the oceans. He was a free spirit. He had many aspirations of what he wanted to do with his life including making music or entering the medical field, but left us at too young an age to succeed in these.
A Vigil Service will be held for Matthew on Wednesday May 16th, from 7-9:00PM at O’Connor Mortuary in Laguna Hills. A Funeral Mass will be held for him on May 17th at 11:00AM at St Thomas More Catholic Church in Irvine.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Matthews honor to First Step House of Orange County, a non-profit organization here in Orange County and an establishment that had helped Matthew in the past.
https://www.charlestreet.org/donate.htm
55 responses to Matthew J. Sprague
Anne Guandalini says:
May 18, 2012
To my uncle,
From watching you this week I have learned what true strength looks like. My heart breaks watching you go through this but I know Matthew is sitting in heaven laughing at all of us once again. Helping Matt as much as you did showed all of us the love you had for him. I can say with confidence you were never going to give up on giving matt any opportunity to succeed. You have truly been an amazing parent to matt, mike and georgia. I look at you as a father figure in many ways and know that I can learn so much from you. I love you deeply and hope you continue to be as strong as you’ve been through all of this.
To my aunt,
From watching you this week I have learned what it means to be someone’s rock in life. You have been so strong through all of this, taking care of everyone while mourning the loss of matthew (who we know you look at as your own son). I can also learn a lot from you and hope that if i ever need to be someone’s rock the way you have been i can rise to the occasion as well as you have done this past week. I also love you and hope you learn to take a rest when you need to, because you’ve earned it.
To matthew,
My beloved cousin and friend. Words can not explain the sadness in my heart. I have looked up to you as a hero for so long. My older cousin that I always had fun with. I will miss you forever and will never forget the way you made all of us feel when you were around- happy. I can not express how happy it makes me to know that you passed away trying and sober. I love you always. My words of advice to you, listen to your father and let papa grab you <3
Love,
Annie
Joseph M. Guandalini says:
May 18, 2012
Dear Matt,
I have so much left to say to you, and even more left to learn from you. Maybe because I do not have any brothers or maybe because you were loved by everyone you met; I have always looked up to you. In my heart I know you are in a better place, but its is my greed that wishes you back with me. The time and pain may fade away, but in my heart you may forever stay.
With Love,
-Your Cousin Joey
Janice Sprague says:
May 20, 2012
Many have asked about Brian’s eulogy for Matt. Here it is…
Matt was born on February 6th, 1990, as the first child of his parents, Paula and me. In the early years of his life he was quite active and seemed to have an affinity for forgetting his boundaries. He was very good at training his parents to be stronger, and paved the way for his siblings in the training of us.
His brother Michael was born in 1992, just two years later. And I watched the bond between brothers form. They were very close for Matt’s whole life, and it seemed to me that the bond between them was the strongest I had ever seen between two people. Matt guided his brother and was very helpful and loving. He guided Mike through their most difficult times. They were willing to fight each other at a moments notice, but would let no outsider injure either one in word or fist. Matt was fortunately born with a sense of humor and truly enjoyed his own jokes especially when they were directed at another, for example his brother. Teasing Mike for his own enjoyment was one of his favorite things to do. We’d often hear the belly laugh out of Matt and we knew what it meant.
Matt scooched me too. One example was by simply announcing the word “Chicken” or “I love chicken”. Why this word, I have no idea, At any time he would say the word in many ways with different volume, and pitch – shouts, whispers. He annoyed me so much with this, I forbid him and would take his privileges away for just saying the word under any condition. So what did he do instead of saying “I love chicken” he’d blurt out “I love that word I’m not allowed to say” Giant smile, huge laugh. He thought this was quite funny. This is the thing though: Matt did not love chicken at all, nor did he love Salmon but he ate a lot of it. To say the least, Matthew had a great sense of humor and brought smiles and laughter to many around him.
When Matt was 12 his sister Georgia was born. Georgia was a micro-preemie, who was born at only 1 pound and very sick. I remember how concerned and stressed he was about her. I also remember the first time we brought him to see her in the neonatal intensive care unit. Just looking at her, tears began flowing down his face. I also remember at a later date when he was allowed to first sit and hold her in the hospital. He beamed with pride over his tiny sister Georgia. Matt had a soft heart, and a loving one. His sister Georgia adored him while he was around.
In school, Matt seemed to be very bright. He seemed to be gifted with getting his work and studying done quickly. Somehow, he never had homework or any studying to do, but got good grades. He was well liked by his teachers and did seem to get to know the principal, as did I, but not always for the best reasons.
A family friend and teacher of Matts, Krista Heard, who is one of the nicest people we know in the world, described him in a card to us this week: “I remember him as one of the happiest, jovial, bright eyed, kind, compassionate, caring, hard working students I had the pleasure of teaching. His smile would literally light up the classroom. Matthew was a friend to all and had a heart of gold.”
I asked family members while writing this did they have any ways they’d like to describe Matt. The following were a few of the words they chose: Influencing, persuasive, devious, twinkle in his eye, infectious smile, clever, gleaming, fun, made me laugh, and happy.
At 15 and a freshman in high school, Matt started to experiment with drugs. Unfortunately he had the wrong genes for such an experiment, especially at such a young age, as addiction disease did run in both sides of his family. At first it was to party and to get a high. It was for fun. This began his struggle, as I watched the years pass while the grips of the disease dug deeper and deeper into him. Many asked me over the years, some of you are here now, “what drug did he get addicted to?” It was not like that. It wasn’t a drug that he took that made him physically addicted. Matt had addiction disease and would use many or any available d
Janice Sprague says:
May 20, 2012
Eulogy continued, guess it didn’t all fit…
Matt had addiction disease and would use many or any available drugs. This disease created a survival need in him to alter his natural state of mind to achieve an unreachable feeling. A vicious cycle developed where the more he used, the more he needed, the more his despair and self loathing grew, the deeper and further away he sank, and – the more he used. Countless times we tried to stop the spiral, and turn him in a different direction. Strategy after strategy, was tried, locally and in different parts of the country to change his environment as well as curtail this vicious cycle. We all missed him badly. He was too young to understand the lethal consequences of his problem, and when he did start to understand at a later age, he struggled to break free.
I saw throughout these years the conflict in him between his deep unconditional love and trust for me, and love of his family, and his inability to free himself of this disease. He was not a bad person because he was an addict. He didn’t choose this. He was sick, not unlike someone with cancer. He suffered with this and accumulated a lot of wear and tear over the last couple of years. It seemed to be taking its toll. We admitted him to what I’d consider one of the best rehabs, Cornerstone, just a few weeks ago. He struggled, but he was doing well. Matt passed away in his sleep on May 10th, sober. No one knows why he died. Even with his past, it is not normal for someone at his age to suffer this outcome. This has been discussed a lot and with many in the last week. The only explanation seems to be – God wanted him. Possibly this was an act of compassion. All his family, mothers Paula his mom and Janice his stepmom, and fathers, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends are very sad to lose him, but we have some peace in the fact that his suffering and struggle has ended. He is in a better place.
I do not want to remember Matt for his struggle, but for how much he loved me and his family – when he could; I remember his love of the outdoors and the wonderful times we had together – on the ocean, in the dessert, or in the mountains; I remember his wonderful personality, his charisma, his sense of humor and infectious laugh which brought many smiles to many people while he was with us. I can say with no uncertainty that he gave me many more smiles and laughs in his life than tears. Till the very end I watched him care for and try to help others even though he could not do the same for himself. He is greatly loved, and greatly missed. God Bless You Matt. We love you. Thank you.
Janice Sprague says:
May 20, 2012
Annie, you are a beautiful girl with a beautiful soul. We love you so much!