Warrior, poet, pirate, scholar, rogue.  Who was Captain Mathew Sealgäer?  Husband, father, son, brother, friend?  Who was Matt Ryan?  A very old soul who died much too young.  As I spend his last few days at his side, I marveled at a man who could claim a least a dozen people who considered him their best friend. 

Who was this man who inspired such loyalty?

I met Matt in 1998 at the Shire of Chesapeake Winter
Solstice feast.  We clashed horns a bit, because upon
meeting me, he criticized my garb as not being period.
(He was right, of course, but he didn’t need to point it
out!)  Recognizing a very intelligent man, I sought
conversation with him and started a journey of disco-
vering an exceedingly complex personality.  We spoke
of his very well behaved curly topped two year old. 
Heather looked like a disgruntled Shirley Temple. 
And Matt was the most doting father I had ever met. 
He worried continually through the years that he was
not a good enough father for Heather.  I could never
get through to him that he was the most involved and
devoted father I had ever known.  From making sure the car was warm before he carried his sleeping daughter into it, to reading to her, taking the time to teach her and explain things, and most of all, making sure she knew he loved her. 

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