Matthew Brian Ham

A graveside service for Matt will be 2 p.m., Friday, August 14th at the Newton Union Cemetery, 1600 W. 4th St. N. in Newton.

Burial will be at Newton Union Cemetery in Newton.

Memorials may be made to the family in memory of Matthew (please make checks payable to either Fred Ham or to Shirley Ham). Memorials may be left at the funeral home or mailed to the Wallace Family Funeral Home, 1115 E. 19th St. N., Newton, IA 50208, please add, Attn: Ham Family on the envelope.

Matthew “Matt” Brian Ham, the son of Fredric M. and Shirley O. Tomlin Ham was born on April 8, 1980 in Ames, Iowa. Matt graduated from Liberty High School in Palm Bay, Florida in 1998. He then went to the Walt Disney School of Culinary Arts at Valencia College. Matt grew up in Indialantic, Florida. He moved to Orlando, Florida in 2003 and in 2009 he moved to San Diego, California.

Matt had worked as a Chef and Sous Chef in Indialantic, Florida, Orlando, Florida and San Diego, California and as an Executive Chef in La Jolla, California. He had enjoyed skateboarding, surfing, playing baseball, fishing and playing pool.

Matt died on Saturday, July 25, 2020 in San Diego, California. He was 40. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, John P. and A. Lucille Hicks Tomlin and Marvin F. and E. Louise Turner Ham; aunt, Nancy R. Tomlin Amadon and uncles, Steve and Johnny Bill Tomlin.

Those left to cherish Matt’s memory are his parents, Shirley Tomlin Ham (Angelo Nigro) of Des Moines and Fredric M. Ham (Ammarawadee Taweesri) of Alpharetta, Georgia; aunts & uncles, Dick (Kathy) Tomlin of Des Moines, Viola Tomlin of Ottumwa, Willa Tomlin of Newton, John Amadon of Buford, Georgia, Thomas and Liz Ham of Kennewick, Washington and Jon Ham of Newton; his cousins, Robert Tomlin, Becky Dible, Brenda Brereton, Rick Tomlin, Laura Illingsworth, Megan Tomlin, Christopher “Chris” Tomlin, Laura Amadon, Jeff Ham, Amanda Kohn Ham, Nick Ham, Alicia Ham and Bethany Ham; and many friends.

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