Matthew Elliot Slavik
Nov. 25, 1952-Feb. 23, 2023
Menlo Park, CA

Matthew Elliot Slavik passed away peacefully on February 23, 2023 after a long period of ill-health. He was 70. Born to Sam and Harriet (“Tiger”) Slavik, Matt came of age in vibrant 1960’s Los Angeles. This instilled in him a lifelong love of rock, jazz, and folk music of any era, particularly that involving acoustic guitar, which he played religiously for the majority of his life. He was a dedicated sports fan, transfixed by Sandy Koufax’s Dodgers and John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins in his youth, before transitioning his allegiances to the Giants and Warriors as a loyal Bay Area resident his last 50 years.

Matt attended UC Berkeley (Economics 1976), going on to graduate from Stanford Business School (1980) and achieve success in the burgeoning software industry across more than three decades. Experience at Apple, Cadence Design Systems, and Silicon Graphics led him to a long career as a valued consultant developing Sales & Marketing strategies for many early-stage companies.

Above all, Matt was a devoted father, attending countless soccer, basketball, and baseball games whenever one of his sons was playing. He was unceasingly kind and generous, willing to do whatever he could to help his friends and even many strangers. Empathy was one of Matt’s primary characteristics, leading to him donating time and money to a wide variety of causes, including volunteering as a grief counselor for many years through the non-profit Kara. He will be particularly remembered for his easygoing nature and witty sense of humor.

Matt is survived by his sons, Jackson and Jay, his sister, Martha, his nephew, Ray Barsante, and his former wife, Leigh Flesher.

Remembrances of Matt may be shared at: https://memorialsource.com/memorial/matthew-elliot-slavik