It is with a heavy heart and much sadness that we let everyone know that we have lost a pivotal member of the Active team. Marcus Matthews passed away on December 14th, 2020. Marcus Matthews was an amazing man, father, husband and friend to many. Marcus always brought cheer and smiles wherever he went. Marcus enjoyed NASCAR, hockey, and hanging out with friends. He will be missed greatly to all of those that he touched over his 54 years with us. It was his love of music and the Rockstar life that brought Marcus Matthews (GONZO) to many of us. He started his AV and Lighting Career at an early age. I can recall rumors of him jumping from truss to truss focusing lights hanging 50 feet in an arena at age 4. His career as a lighting engineer and designer was one of greatness. Touring with top tier acts including Kanas, Ozzy Osborne, Van Halen, Danzig, Disturbed and many others shaped him into the high level, fast and efficient engineer he came to be. At Active, Marcus was a key individual. He wore many hats and assisted many in our facility and many on the job site. Our clients also loved Marcus and how he made their events look great with his lighting creativity. Marcus will be missed as a colleague and friend. His passing is a huge loss for the Atlanta production industry. Many will feel his influence ripple in time like so many others we have lost in 2020. Marcus loved to party and have a good time. He spent much of his free time enjoying libations and chats with friends, strangers or anyone who ended up next to him. I believe he lived his life without regret and each day to its fullest. Marcus lived his life on his own terms and followed his heart, I will always respect him for that. With all this said, I encourage us to do what Marcus would have wanted us to do. Put NASCAR on the TV, grab a beer, shot of whiskey or your favorite beverage, hold it high and CHUG IT!!!! Cheers to Marcus Matthews and we all know he is sitting right next to Eddie Van Halen and other rockstars we have lost flirting with the cute bartender serving them O'Doul’s and telling them its real beer. 😊 #RIPGONZO https://www.instagram.com/p/CI3-eRND0cd/?igshid=19xz1raasjg19
