Matthew James Zernicke, age 45 of Holland, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep Friday, July 3, 2020 at home in Holland.
Matt was born March 31, 1975 in Shawano, Wisconsin to James and Susan (Martin) Zernicke. He graduated from Madison East High School in 1993, and went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Mechanics from UW Madison in 1998. Upon graduating, he took a position at Orbital Sciences Corporation in Chandler, Arizona. He advanced to the position of Principal Navigation Engineer for multiple rocket launches over his tenure with Orbital. Matt met Megan (VanDerZee) playing volleyball, and they were married December 4, 2009 in Phoenix. For the past 10 years, Matt worked as a software Engineer at Gentex Corporation. He was a founder and co-owner of Three Blondes Brewing in South Haven, MI.
Matt had a zest for life, was a huge Wisconsin Badger fan, and loved family above all else. He enjoyed coaching his children’s sports teams, travelling to different breweries to try different beers, playing Euchre, and hanging in the back yards with family and friends. Matt was hard-working, loyal, dependable, and was truly a friend to everyone. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Matt is survived by his wife Megan (VanDerZee); 3 children, Jack, Lolo, and Vivi, all at home; his parents, James and Susan Zernicke; 2 sisters, Melissa (Scott) Halstead, and Sarah (Jeff) Bremer; parents-in-law, Ray and Linda VanDerZee; grandmother, Dorothy Martin; Sisters and brothers-in-law, Carrie (Adam) Troyer and Amanda (Joe) Johnson; nieces and nephews, Natalie and Sydney Halstead, Maddie and Ben Bremer, and Quinn, Palmer, and Collins Johnson; Many extended family and special friends.
A memorial gathering to celebrate Matt’s life will take place Thursday, July 9, 2020 from 5-7:00pm at one of his favorite venues, Three Blondes Brewing, 1875 Phoenix St Suite B, South Haven, MI. A few things to remember since we are still in the middle of a global pandemic: Please wear a mask if you are medically able to. The brewery will be closed to the public for this event, but indoor capacity is limited to 50 people at a time. So please be mindful of your time spent inside the restaurant, utilize the outdoor patio, and maintain 6ft social distance between others when possible.
Memorial contributions may be made to a Go Fund Me page that has been set up in memory of Matt, to help start a college fund for his children.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/zernicke-kids-college-fund
Please visit
www.lakeshorememorial.com
for further information.
