Matthew Edward Gillwald

Matthew (Matt) Edward Gillwald, 35, passed away unexpectedly on May 23, 2025. He was born on August 19, 1989, to parents Ralph and Cheryl Gillwald and grew up in Hamilton, Virginia with his younger brother, Eric, and younger sister, Marissa.
Growing up, he was a member of the Harmony United Methodist Church, a boy scout, soccer athlete, and a trumpet player in the Loudon Valley High School marching band. He graduated from Loudoun Valley in 2007.
Matt was accepted to the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Engineering, after he successfully wooed the admissions board with a verbose explanation of how his practical experience with Legos provided sufficient qualification for college engineering courses. A true academic, he determined that chemical engineering wasn't challenging enough and elected to study abroad in Munich, even taking organic chemistry in German. He graduated from UVA with honors in 2011 with a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering and a minor in German.
In college, he was a proud member of the Cavalier Marching Band and the Kappa Kappa Psi service fraternity. He was a trumpet player and an unfailingly enthusiastic drum major, and while his musical proficiency was undeniable, his dance moves on the podium may have left something to be desired. He continued to play trumpet in the Hot Lanes jazz band after graduation.
He met his wife, Madeleine (Maddie), during his first year of college through mutual friends and marching band. She employed a very subtle flirting technique of challenging him to a spaghetti eating contest- the winner of which remains hotly debated. They were married on September 14, 2013, in Alexandria surrounded by friends, family, and one heck of a dance party. The depth of his love for Maddie was endless and obvious to all.
Matt was a stickler for rules and had a moral compass that could rival that of Captain America, which made him absolutely perfect for his career working for the federal government. He cared deeply about both his work and his colleagues, and he brought enthusiasm, dry humor, and complete dedication to maintaining the Oreo flavor spreadsheet. His passion for what he did was infectious.
He had an immense love for travel and made the absolute most of an opportunity to live in Austria for 3 years with his wife. There he was able to further perfect his German, find every opportunity to don his lederhosen, and fully embrace the European coffee culture (eventually foregoing the eis cafe for more socially acceptable coffee iterations without ice cream in them).
He and Maddie embarked on a culinary and cultural tour of Europe, and his highlight trips were hiking through Norway and visiting Barcelona at Christmas, though he was adamant that nowhere in the world is as magical and beautiful as Vienna for Christmastime.
He was an incredible father to his two children, James (6) and Molly (4), and the quality of his parenting would rival that of the unattainable dad goals set by Bandit from Bluey. He spent his whole life practicing various dad-jokes to be prepared for fatherhood, and his family, friends, and co-workers were all victims of his humorous efforts with varying degrees of success. It was his personal mission to ensure the next generation of Gillwalds have a firm understanding of the Star Wars galaxy, Marvel universe, and the importance of carefully following every step of the Lego instructions.
Matt was an avid word, card, and board game player. He enjoyed spending time with family playing various sports. His natural athleticism shined on every court, field, and pitch. He loved coaching soccer for his son James in the Alexandria Soccer Association and playing tennis with his dear friends. As in all aspects of his life, he was a formidable opponent, fierce competitor, coach, and cheerleader in every game.
He is survived by his wife, Madeleine Margaret Gillwald, his children, James Maximilian Gillwald and Molly Dorothea Gillwald, his parents, Ralph and Cheryl Gillwald, and siblings, Eric and Marissa, and his grandparents Erhardt and Dorothea Gillwald. Matthew will be deeply missed, but forever cherished.
His Celebration of Life will take place on June 7th at 3pm at the Del Ray United Methodist Church at 100 E Windsor Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301 and all who wish to attend are welcome. There will be an open visitation with family at the church prior to the ceremony from 1:30-3:00pm for those interested. There will be a reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers, Matthew would love if donations could be made to the UVA School of Engineering, the UVA School of Nursing, and/or the Cavalier Marching Band in his name.