Individual Details

Shamburger, Matthew Matt was born on January 8, 1984, bursting forth miraculously and unexpectedly two months before his due date, setting the stage for his ever-surprising, spontaneous, and truly extraordinary life. Words are inadequate to describe Matt, but certain adjectives are obvious: unique, empathic, passionate, loyal, guileless, profoundly creative, innocent, innovative, entrepreneurial, genuine, enthusiastic, and brilliant. Most importantly, Matt possessed the most rare of qualities: pureness of heart and true humility of character. He loved, and was beloved, by everyone who knew him, touching lives young and old, in an almost magical way. His gifts and accomplishments are almost too numerous to mention, and they were varied and multifaceted. He thought 3-dimensionally and spoke metaphorically, with the ability to convey complex ideas and concepts in clear and simple terms, a consistent mark of his genius. He possessed a beautiful voice and incredible musical talent, writing and performing solo and in various bands throughout his school years. As a young child he was obsessed with building and creativity, as well as having numerous, highly successful businesses which were legendary in the community, and which included a popular airplane model camp, an annual hot chocolate stand, and a long-board making venture. Among his more amazing "inventions" were an ultra-light airplane, a full-size Wright brothers-style glider, a stop-action camera machine, a Tesla coil, a remote control camera crane, a full-size Ferris wheel (a present for his little sister's birthday), several full-length films packed with fabulous special effects, and multiple musical compositions and poems. Matt was also blessed with exceptional "beauty," both inside and out, and although he had no vanity, he even enjoyed a brief modeling career after being chosen as a finalist in the annual Kim Dawson model search contest. He graduated from Highland Park High School with honors, gathering numerous awards for his unique films and artistic achievements. During his junior year, Matt was chosen by the faculty to represent Highland Park High School at Boys State in Austin, a singular honor. Matt also attained the rank of Eagle Scout at age 14, working closely with his beloved father, Doug, and together they completed two, 500-mile wilderness hikes, nurturing his ongoing love of everything outdoors, especially embracing the deeply spiritual aspect of nature. His love of animals was intense, and he tamed and raised a menagerie over the years, including iguanas, flying squirrels and wild squirrels, ducks, geese, turtles, and dogs, and even had plans for an aviary and bee-keeping... he was truly an "animal whisperer." Always an avid, Tom Sawyer-like adventurer, he designed, built and "flew" his ultra-light and glider, went skydiving and hang gliding, traveled extensively in Europe and the Middle East, loved to mountain climb and rappel, and often camped alone in Joshua Tree State Park in California, where he felt a special, spiritual connection with God and His amazing creation. Matt was truly the ultimate seeker, devoid of personal pride or vanity, or any sense of materialism - while at the same time constantly dreaming up new, innovative and profitable businesses... one of the many, happy and quirky paradoxes in his personality. His friends thought of him as somewhat of a "mad scientist," and coupled with a mischievous sense of humor, a childlike nature, and unceasing curiosity, Matt and his friends concocted many schemes which are the stuff of endless crazy stories and happy memories. Despite many family tragedies and unexpected personal trauma, Matt persevered, positive and hopeful, attending the college of his dreams, University of Southern California, and studying film, engineering, architecture, and neuroscience, as well as pursuing several businesses on campus. Perhaps Matt's most unusual and remarkable quality was his intuitive insight into the scientific workings of energy and physics - a true gift. Above all, Matt adored his family, most especially his beloved little sister, Mary Margaret, and cherished his deep and wonderful friendships. He never ceased loving, hoping, and seeking His loving God and Father. He is preceded in death by his beloved father, Doug Shamburger. He is survived by his loving mother Nancy Shamburger, his sisters Mary Margaret Shamburger, Leigh Shamburger Adams, brother C.D. Shamburger Jr. and countless beloved family members and friends. A memorial service celebrating Matt's life will be held at 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at Highland Park Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made toward a Scholarship Fund in Matthew's name at Highland Park High School. This can be accomplished either via the website: www.hpef.org/scholarships.html, or by mail to: HP Education Foundation, 4201 Grassmere, Dallas TX., 75205, mentioning Matthew Shamburger Scholarship on the memo line. A personal tribute may be made online on Facebook: Friends of Matt Shamburger. Online condolences may be left at www.sparkman-hillcrest.com
Published by Dallas Morning News from Nov. 18 to Nov. 20, 2012.

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Birth	8 Jan 1984	Dallas County, Texas
Residence	1 Oct 1999	Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Death	18 Nov 2012

Father	Charles Douglas Shamburger (1943 - 2000)
Mother	Living
Sibling	Living
Sibling	Living

Notes