Matthew Randy Nyman

1978 - 2021

Matthew Randy Nyman

January 3, 1978-February 3, 2021

DENVER, CO-Matthew Randy Nyman (43), of Denver, CO, died February 3, 2021, as he lived – bravely ascending new heights – following an avalanche near Anchorage, Alaska.

The beloved son of Randy (Pam) Nyman and Rebecca (Chuck) Hickman; husband of Kristina Crichton; father of Aiden Nyman-Laughman, 15, and Maddox Nyman-Laughman, 9; brother of Heidi Broussard; and stepfather of Wesley Crichton Polka, 10; Matt was an adored husband, loving father, dear brother, caring friend to many, and inspiration to all who met him.

Born and raised in Waterloo, IA, Matt proudly served in the 2nd Battalion of the 75th Ranger Regiment and was selected to serve in the elite 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment, where as a Sergeant First Class he served in both Afghanistan and Iraq. While in Iraq, Matt sustained life-threatening injuries in a helicopter crash that required his leg be amputated and he undergo years of rehabilitation, with Matt persevering to not only continue serving his country but also becoming a skilled mountaineer. Matt's professional achievements included dissolving criminal networks and preventing large-scale terrorist attacks as a Senior Operations Officer with the U.S. Northern Command and then leading the development of cyber security fusion centers for Mastercard and American Family Insurance, having earned his Executive MBA from the esteemed Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. As if that wasn't enough, in the last 10 years, Matt scaled the world's largest peaks – Denali, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Gran Paradiso and Lobouche – and was featured in the 2012 documentary "High Ground," following a team of 11 Wounded Warriors, as they conquered a Himalayan mountain. He also graciously donated his time and expertise as a board member for the Endangered Species Protection Agency and as a volunteer with the Adaptive Grand Slam of global Wounded Warriors, among other organizations.

Matt is preceded in death by his grandparents: Joan Nyman, Alice and Chuck Walter, and James Hickman. His legacy of service, resilience, and compassion lives on with his family, children, and the countless individuals who were honored to serve with him and call him a friend.