Matthew John Cole, 66 of St. Paul, MN
Passed away suddenly on August 6, 2024. Matt was born September 1, 1957 in Toronto, Ontario to James Bernard Cole and Valerie Gower Cole. His family moved to Des Moines in 1967. He graduated from Valley High School in 1975 and then attended Iowa State University, graduating in 1980 with a degree in economics and business administration. Matt met Karla Standridge Cole after responding to her personal ad in the Des Moines Register in 1985, and they were married on October 3, 1987 in Des Moines, IA. They were married for 37 happy years. In 1994, they moved to St. Paul, MN. Matt worked in the insurance industry, but his true passion was spending time with his family and hobbies. Matt especially loved bicycling and photography and sang tenor in his wife’s choir at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Roseville.
He leaves behind his beloved wife Karla, his son Henry (Kristen) and their son Harrison of Richfield, MN, and his daughter Geneva of Tucson, AZ; his sisters Ann (David) Kendell of Bellevue, IA and Elizabeth Cole of Pikeville, KY. A memorial service will be held on August 17th at 2 p.m. at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Roseville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Full Cycle, a Minneapolis-based organization that uses bicycles and cycling to improve the lives of homeless youth.
To send flowers to the family or to plant a tree in memory of Matthew John Cole, please visit our flower shop.
