Rick J. Matheson

1965 - 2019

Rick Jayson Matheson, 53, a man of strength and faith, with his family by his side, went home to his Heavenly Father on Wednesday evening, March 5, 2019.
Rick was born May 22, 1965 in Seattle, WA to parents, Dave and Charleen Matheson. As a young toddler, the Matheson family moved to Caldwell wherein Rick's grass roots upbringing was taking hold with his loving parents and two brothers whom he cherished, Mick and Tim.
Rick acclimated quickly to his Idaho home, making lifelong childhood friends and becoming an avid fisherman and chukar/pheasant hunter extraordinaire, along with the thrill of big game hunts. Rick treasured sharing these activities and his love of Idaho's great outdoors most with his family, friends, dogs and later in life, his two boys who inherited his love for the outdoor sports. Steelhead and salmon fishing were amongst his favorite on the Clearwater, in Riggins and Alaska. Fly fishing was his next big adventure.
Rick graduated from Caldwell High School, where he excelled in all sports; basketball, football and tennis. But none of his sporting achievements compared to his excellence in racquet sports. Rick was a prodigy at tennis. As a young teen he won many Intermountain tournaments and titles, paving his way with hard work, dedication and passion to earning a three-time high school singles tennis state championship, including a 36-0 record his sophomore year. Rick was not an average player, he was a gifted player who recognized and fine-tuned his athletic abilities to be competitive, yet always humble and kind. In 1984, Rick was recognized as one of America's Finest, receiving the Prince National High School Tennis All American Award. After high school, Rick went on to blaze a trail with a tennis scholarship at the University of San Diego, receiving the Best Singles Record In 1988. The most special reward he received from USD was his lifelong friendships with his teammates and Coach.
After earning his degree in Business at USD, Rick returned to Idaho where he met the love of his life, KayT Campbell, from Weiser, Idaho. They married in 1996 and resided in Boise as they raised their two sons, Nick (21) and Jack (18). Rick cherished coaching and cheering his boys on during their activities. He was their biggest fan. Rick's greatest achievement was his two strong and beautiful boys. He was so proud of them and deeply loved being with them anywhere/anytime. He was a loving and supportive father. Teaching them to never give up and to have some fun along the way. And as Rick would refer to KayT as "his rock" or "his angel", KayT was there to the very last precious moment holding his hand.
In business Rick was a tenacious and gritty entrepreneur at heart. Rick owned and commandeered multiple businesses that spanned domestically and internationally. Rick was a visionary and his background in semiconductors propelled him to push the thresholds of innovation in metallurgical and solar cell science. He never stopped learning and growing. He was very well known in the Solar and Silicon Industry as one of the top respected businessmen with a Maverick spirit. Rick's current business in Solar distribution, refurbishment and installations excited him the most as he was making a positive difference in the world for many.
Rick's love of sports never ceased as he continued his love for golf, skiing, tennis, ping-pong, hiking and even in his most recent years enjoying the competitive sport of pickleball, wherein he participated in backyard games, local tournaments and winning a Gold Medal at the 2018 Las Vegas Pickleball Open in September.
Despite all Rick's achievements, his legacy will be forever preserved because of his endearing spirit and contagious smile. The source of Rick's strength was the passion and love in his heart. And that strength was inspiring. He dearly loved his family and genuinely cared about all those in his life. If you spent time with Rick you would feel his engaging focus, humble upbringing, sincere support and light-hearted disposition. Rick loved life and always made sure at any gathering/outing with family and friends there was something special about to happen. He always had something planned (or unplanned). One thing was for certain when you spent time with Rick, you were going to be on an unknown, fun adventure as he would make sure that he went above, beyond and around to ensure his boys, their friends, his nieces and nephews, friends and family would have the time of their life with a few crazy stories to hold close to their hearts, laughing, all while thinking…..that really happened!
Rick was your friend and he didn't take that lightly. To say he had your back would be a gross understatement.
Rick's passion made him a warrior at heart. A heart he recognized as being bestowed by God. It wasn't who am I, but whose am I. And his faith in Jesus Christ opened the door to be reunited with his mother and father who preceded him in death.
Simply put, Rick was a champion and, in the end, not even death could find victory as he lived his life fully and returns to his Heavenly Father. Until we are reunited, we know you are smiling down on us. We 100% love you and miss you. Spread your wings and fly!
Rick is survived by his loving wife, KayT; sons, Nick and Jack; brothers, Mick and Tim; sisters-in-law: Michelle Matheson, Stacey Campbell and Terri Sutcliffe; brothers-in-law, Jamie Campbell and Robert Sutcliffe; mothers-in-law; Connie Schneider and Annie Campbell; nieces: McKenna, Marissa, Matilda, Molly, Codi and Sami; nephews, Quinn and Dalton.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, March 15th at Legacy Life Church, 1830 N. Linder Rd in Meridian. A celebration of life reception will follow at 5:00 PM at Willowbridge Event Center, 5145 W. River Ranch Lane in Eagle. Committal services will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, March 16th at Hillcrest Cemetery in Weiser. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rick's name to the American Cancer Society. Remembrances may be left for on Rick's memorial page at www.AccentFuneral.com. Services are under the care of Accent Funeral Home, Meridian.