Matthew Brad Volkmann

I wish that it hadn’t taken me this long to post something, but what can I say about Matt that hasn’t already been said? Volkdogg wore many hats throughout his life and career, all of which enriched our lives for the better. First and foremost, he was a loving son, dedicated brother, fun uncle, dependable friend, reliable mentor, and an absolute stud. It has been hard finding the words to describe what Matt meant to me and how much he will be missed by all who knew him. When it comes down to it, Matt was just an all-around great guy. Although we went to high school together, I really got to know him when I started with Monster Energy in 2012. He took it upon himself to get to know and welcome me to the Monster family (as he did with everyone that was a newbie). Over the years we grew closer, and he became a true friend/mentor to me and helped me progress in my life and career. Matt was someone I looked up to and respected. The countless hours we spent together on the road for crew drives, all the flights we took across the country, and all the company outings made our friendship stronger. There are so many memories I will never forget with Matt, both in and outside of work. Some of the best times we shared revolved around our mutual love for sports and all the games we were able to attend together. Anyone who knew Matt knew of his passion for sports - especially for the Packers. There is something truly special about that drive up to Lambeau, tailgating with other Packer fans, and walking into “The Cathedral” as we called it, to cheer on the Pack. It was something Matt appreciated more than most - in fact, he lived for it. I am so grateful to have experienced this with him, along with countless other sporting events we were able to attend. One of the most amazing memories I can think of with Matt is when we were in Los Angeles years ago. He insisted that we go to a Bucks game against the Lakers, which just so happened to be the last time Kobe Bryant would ever play against us, and the last time we would ever see him play. I will never forget that experience, and I have Matt to thank for that. Indeed, I have Matt to thank for so many things. He was always there for me when I needed advice. Matt was the best sidekick, whether it was gambling & living it up in Vegas, or answering my 5th call of the day when I had a dumb question and needed his guidance. Matt was always there when I needed him, for the good and the bad, and he always made sure I succeeded. Matt was incredibly caring, selfless, and had a heart of gold. His fierce love for and dedication to his family is something that was always apparent. To the Volkmann Family: I cannot express enough how deep my condolences are. We all know that it is going to take time to heal from this unexpected and tragic loss of such a great man, and we can only attempt to focus on how much better Matt made our lives while we grieve. I am so thankful to have known Matt and for the memories I will always cherish. Although I really miss my friend, I just know he is up there laughing at all the terrible bets I made on the Masters a few weeks ago - and I'm sure he will laugh at my bets to come. I miss you Matt - more than you will ever know.

Sorry about your last name, spell check got me. Volkmanns

We just heard about Matt, he was such a wonderful guy. Our prayers go out to the Vollmer family.

Matt was one of the most sincere, loyal, and passionate employees I have worked with at Monster. He welcomed challenges with an eye for expanding himself and growing personally and professionally. I always enjoyed talking to Matt one on one because he always had perspective and a unique way of getting his point of view across. One of my fondest memories of him was travelling to Green Bay with him, Lon Sisson, and Tom Barnes to enjoy a couple of summer days in stores together with our partners and a night full of laughs, stories, beers, and maybe a Monster bomb by the water. He was a guy who you wanted on your team in business and a friend you wanted to socialize with. We had some great times I'll miss having him on the Monster Team, but I know he lives on in me and all the people he touched along the way - his calm demeanor, loyalty, love of all things sports, and quiet enthusiasm is with us and will continue to be celebrated.

To the family of Matt Volkmann, our hearts go out to you in your loss of a wonderful son, brother and a friend to many. I will miss his get it done spirit on our Monster team and his friendship as one of the good guys you could always count on. We played some annual golf tournaments together in recent years and our group will surely toast Matt's memory when we play them again this year. Our most sincere condolences.

With sadness please accept my sincere condolences in Matt’s untimely passing.... I worked with Matt in his early career with Monster and I always enjoyed his demeanor and enthusiastic friendship. He will be truly missed! Trevor

So very sorry to learn Matt was called home. He was so passionate and will be missed dearly by many. God Bless you Matt and family and may the Lord welcome you with arms wide open. Our very deepest sympathy, The La Rue family

Matt worked for me for two years when I lived in Chicago. During that time our passion for sports grew into a competitive bond and eventually a great friendship. He would drop anything when I asked him to and help with work or anything really. We spent many a nights in hotel lobbies talking about life and laughing alot. The picture attached is one of my favorites of him and Tom Barnes at PBR in WI. I don't think I have ever laughed as hard or enjoy so many tall stories as I did that weekend. I still get up Monday mornings expecting him to call asking what I thought about the games that weekend and what work items are going to be a challenge this week. I will truely miss you my loyal and amazing friend! -Ben

Volkmann Family, Sending my condolences during this unimaginable time. I didn't have the opportunity to work with Matt very often, but when I did he impressed me with his kind demeanor and by being a true gentleman. He loved working for Monster and would bend over backwards for anyone within the company. I'll miss his warm spirit at company functions. Peace and love, Natalie Johnson

I had the pleasure of knowing Matt over the past 14 years and most recently we began connecting on a more frequent basis through Monster's mentor/mentee program. I've always had much respect for Matt and appreciated his strong work ethic as well as his very compassionate, calm and friendly demeanor. Matt will be missed by many and I will certainly miss our conversations, rest in peace. Please accept my deepest condolences. Brent Larson

I had the pleasure to be coworkers with Matt for close to 8 years, and got to him best when we ventured to Brazil together in 2016 to help launch Monster down there. He was such a kind, funny guy you just loved to have a beer and catch up with. I will miss my Brazilian Brother greatly, and I am fortunate to have been able to call him a friend. May he Rest In Peace.

Matt was a great friend and colleague; he will be missed beyond measure. So honored to have gotten to know him over the past several years. One of the most polite, thoughtful, and compassionate human beings I've ever met. He had a love for his Monster Family, always the first to offer to pick a card or a gift for those celebrating or recovering from health conditions. I will miss seeing his smiling face through Teams or Zoom calls with Millie in the background snoring. We will continue to honor Matt and keep his memory alive with stories as often as we can. I pray the Lord provides you with comfort knowing that Matt touched many lives, and was loved by many. Thank you for raising a wonderful young man, Bridgette.

Matt and I were team members at Monster in Region Accounts. Recently, Matt and I started to talk and share texts more so it's shame that wont continue as you can see by what others have written he was good friend and will be missed by all who knew him. Thoughts and Prayers to the Volkmann Family.

Volkmann family, Thank you for raising such a dedicated, loyal, hard working person who carried himself with great morals and character. I have been at Monster for 15 years and watched Matt work his way to the position he recently held on our team. I found Matt honest, determined and faithful. He wanted to WIN! He loved our company and we loved him. His loss is a big blow to our organization. Our prayers are with you always. God bless your family Mike Trento CCO Monster Energy

Very sorry to hear of Matt's passing. It was a pleasure working with him on growing our Hy-Vee C-store energy segment. He always had a smile, good word and would work hard to help us both achieve goals. Prayers for you all. Scott Von Behren Hy-Vee C-store Supervisor - South Region

My condolences to Matthew’s family. I am the Vice President in charge of all the convenience stores for Hy-Vee. I enjoyed working with him. He had a great way of looking at things and always helped us with our side of the business. His loss will felt by our team. Curt

When Matt was hired at MEC by Tom Barnes, I was reluctant to approve. Nothing against Matt personally but I was concerned about his lack of experience and age, being just graduating from college. Tom kidded that with no experience comes no bad habits and he will be trained the MONSTER way. Tom and Lon Sisson (who later became Matt's immediate supervisor) did a great job. I soon discovered Matt was full of energy and eager to learn. He was always willing to volunteer. It didn't matter if it was a crew drive in Minneapolis or a set up/ take down for a division meeting in Chicago. He was always offering to help. He was never afraid to ask questions and always hungry to learn more about our business. He was a true team player. Matt built some great relationships with our team in the Midwest Division. Matt and a few of his fellow FSRS reminded me of our version of the Young Rat Pack. They included Matt B, Mike F, CJ and Kyle. He also became friends with a number of our older RMS. He had no problem fitting in regardless of a significant age difference. With our group, you couldn't be thin skinned. We were all very competitive and known to talk smack at times. Matt learned to give it right back with the best of us (all in fun). From his first Vegas meeting where teammates were keeping an eye out for the young guys, to becoming one of the older experienced guys looking out for the rookies in Vegas, Matt had come full circle. One last memory I would like to share is about a market visit I made to see Matt up in South Dakota. He relocated there with the hope of advancing in the company. He had been up there a couple of months prior to my visit. We visited our AB wholesaler who was Matt's largest customer. It appeared like Matt had been calling on this wholesaler for years, not months. Not sure if I was reading it correctly, I became a believer when the wholesaler asked Matt if he was coming over to his family's Sunday dinner AGAIN! Matt connected with his largest customer in a very short time. Our business is a people business. "People like to do business with people they like". Matt was going to be fine in whatever position he took and where ever the position took him. Tom Barnes was correct on day one. Matt will be missed by all of us from the old Monster Midwest Division. It was my pleasure to work with and get to know Matt Volkmann.

Thoughts and prayers to Matt’s Family. He was a great inspiration to all of us Monster Energy Distributors. He will definitely be missed by all of us that knew him. God be with you buddy!

Here's to Matt (dogg)Volkmann. From one of the very first times we worked together figuring out this whole Monster thing where you where tagged with the dogg moniker, all the growing pains we lived through expanding "our" brand and all the good times we had together at company meetings in CA and Vegas, what I will miss most is the after work friendship we had like golfing (you sure could drive a ball), our lunch get togethers and of course Packer games. I'll sure miss you, "the doggfather"

Matt is the sole reason I was able to get my foot in the door at Monster Energy. He saw something in me and gave me a chance with the company. I had the honor and privilege of working under Matt the last 2 years. I was introduced to Matt awhile back and we instantly clicked and bonded over our love for Wisconsin sports. I have always looked up to him from Day 1 with the company. I was so fortunate to be able to get to know Matt on a personal level, and always noticed how highly respected he was amongst everyone I met. He had a charismatic personality and laugh that could light up the entire room. Some of my best times ever we’re with Matt over the last few years. Matt was my mentor the last year, and he was truly great with me. He was there for me whenever I had a question, and he was always the first one to text me on my successes. We all joked that he was my biggest “cheerleader”. Matt was more than a mentor and a boss, he was a great friend and a brother to me. I will forever miss you, and cherish our moments together. As Wisconsinites we don’t just say goodbye, but rather leave by saying “Go Pack!” So that being said, rest easy Volk Dawg and Go Pack!

All his South Dakota buddy’s will miss him. I am so glad I had a great conversation with him just a couple weeks ago. He was a great person. May he Rest In Peace. Jack Kolbeck. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Matt was my college roommate for 3 years. He was the most loyal friend you could ever ask for. Came to visit as I moved around the country from California to Kentucky. So many great memories of him. Few might know he played semi pro baseball with me in the Beta Avila Mexican summer league in Milwaukee for team El Rey. Incredible memories of sports, tailgates and so many laughs. I’ll miss Matty and my condolences to his family.

Matt, Kyle and Tom

Matt drove a big van with huge M claw's into my life. Tom hired Matt as a TDM for Monster Energy and I gained an additional NFL buddy. We, Matt and I, could speak NFL for hour's. He respected my knowledge and at the right moment, Matt would find a playful opportunity to point out how the Green Bay Packers were Superior to my beloved New Orleans Saints! A few years ago, we spoke about the direction the NFL appeared to be moving and how it would be hard to just walk away from the game. I couldn't stop loving the game because at one point in my life it was the only thing MY daddy and I had in common. Matt shared similar memories he experienced with his father and the NFL. Matt became misty eyed with me, he told me how important it was to take his father to the Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas. I never thought the last interaction with Matt would be via Group Text from the Rams @ Packers playoff game he attended with Kyle. More important than the NFL was watching Matt grow at Monster Energy. My perspective was witnessing it though the eyes of my husband, Tom Barnes. Tom mentored Matt and proudly watched him climb the ladder within Monster Energy. Matt was always open to learning and achieving, professionally and personally. One of the last conversations, I overheard Matt had with Tom was about the rental property he purchased with his brother. Matt was excited to start a new adventure with his brother. I don't want to say goodbye to the amazing person named Matt Volkmann. The Kid with deep perspective into what was important to others without speaking. We join your family, friends, and acquaintances in celebrating your life. I mourn for those that never had the opportunity to be touched by your positive spirit and nonjudgmental heart.

We are so saddened to hear of this news. Please accept our thoughts and prayers.

Thoughts and prayers to the Volkman family. Sorry to hear of Matt’s passing.

My deepest sympathies go out to the Volkmann family at this difficult time. I'm one of Matt's friends from college, Mat Johnson. I wanted to share a story I'm sure very few of you have ever heard where Matt or Coach as his college friends called him, saved his,mine and our friend Geoff's life. It must have been around 2007/2008, we decided that we were going to leave pewaukee for the night and go stay with another friend from college in Germantown for the night. Well it was January, and the middle of a blizzard. Coach, of course said "I'll drive Geoff's car and we are going to make it there no problem." So we set out, its bad, real bad, and I felt like I was getting white nuckles sitting in the back. Maybe 10 minutes later on a 2 lane county highway a car pulls right out in front of us from a side street, there is oncoming traffic in the opposite lane. Matt swerves the car straddling the center line, meanwhile the oncoming traffic saw this developing and got over toward the shoulder. Matt gets control of the car in a few seconds like no one else on earth would and saves us from a really nasty collision in a blizzard. I am forever indebted to Matt for that. Love and miss you buddy, hope your up there giving Lombardi pointers..

We are so very sorry for your loss. Our deepest sympathy to you and your family. John & Eve Weiner

MattyV, your smiling face, quick wit and humor will be missed. My heart aches at the thought of you leaving us so damn soon, but the Lord has other plans and we take comfort in that decision. Love you man.

Our hearts are so heavy that all we can do is have faith that you are in the hands of God, Matt. We trust that you have been welcomed by Grandma and Grandpa Boehme and that when we meet again, you will welcome us to the house of God. RIP Matt.

It is with a very heavy heart that our family will remember only the good times Matt. Your were handed challenges throughout your life and always accepted them and handled them with dignity and grace. We trust that this final challenge finds you in the presence of God with Grandma and Grampa Boehme showing you the ropes. We trust we will all be together again with you as our guide in eternity. RIP Marty V. Your Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins

Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss.