Matthew Skov

Matthew Menefee Skov, husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, colleague, friend and the captain and heart and soul of Team Skov. He died January 21st after a valiant five-month battle against a very rare form of cancer. He was 42 years old.
A fifth generation Californian, a native of San Francisco and a proud descendant of Domingo Ghirardelli, Matt was raised in Marin County and was a resident of Corte Madera. A graduate of the Kentfield Schools and Redwood High School, he earned his bachelor's degree from UC Davis, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He was a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and his love and expertise in the food industry ran the gamut. He was an accomplished chef, manager, restaurant owner, teacher and mentor. At the time of his death, he was in charge of training and facilities for the San Francisco-based non-profit La Cocina, an incubator kitchen dedicated to cultivating low-income food entrepreneurs. He took great personal satisfaction in mentoring and helping others to navigate their way in the food business.
Matt was the adored husband of the love of his life, Christa, whom he married in 1999. He was the devoted father and hero to their daughters, Izzy (10) and Abby (7). The cherished son of Paula and Jeff Skov and the dear brother of Mike, Matt is also survived by his aunt and uncle, many cousins, nieces and nephews, his Bryant in-laws, and a huge and loyal legion of friends and colleagues, many of whom showered him with love and support through the special Team Skov campaign.
A huggable, teddy bear of a guy, Matt was a sweet and gentle soul, known for his warm and caring personality, his booming voice and big smile, his love and appreciation for everyone around him, and his never-ending kindness. He was a lifelong Giants and Forty Niner fan, and in recent years a dedicated follower of Stanford football. Matt was involved in all aspects of his daughters' school and extra curricular activities, from coaching in youth sports and participating in Indian Princesses to attending Daddy/Daughter dances and going on family bike rides.
A celebration of Matt's life will be held on Saturday, February 2 at 3 o'clock at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941.
The family suggests memorial contributions in Matt's memory to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Division of Development, 10 Brookline Place 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445 in support of the NUT Midline Carcinoma Research Fund; or to La Cocina, 2948 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA 94110, in support of the Matt Skov Memorial Award, to be given annually to one deserving woman in pursuit of her culinary dreams.