Chesapean Outdoors

10/18/2026

10/16/2026

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❤️ A Little Prayer & Celebration of Life Update for Matt 🌊☀️
We’re asking for a little help from heaven and Mother Nature tomorrow! 🙏 Please send up a prayer that these winds calm down and the sun shines so we can celebrate Matt the way he would have wanted!
Please note the updated details for tomorrow, Saturday, October 17:
❤️ Celebration of Life – 2 PM�The service has been moved indoors to the Atlantic Ballroom at the Wyndham Hotel. Parking is available at the Wyndham.
🌊 Reception to Follow – 3–5 PM�Join us at the Surf Club Restaurant, where we’re hoping to spill the celebration onto the outdoor patio, weather permitting!
👚👗Attire is casual, but anything goes! In true Matt fashion, wear whatever makes you happy! Flip-flops, Hawaiian shirts, whatever feels right!
So everybody, say a little prayer for calm winds, sunshine, and a little help from Matt up above! 🙏☀️🌊
LIVE • LIKE • MATT ❤️

10/13/2026

Please spread the word that Matt’s service is still at 2pm but will be inside in the Atlantic Ballroom at the Wyndham. Reception to follow 3-5 pm in the Surf Club Restaurant and overflow onto patio, weather permitting.

LIVE. LIKE. MATT. 🤙🤙🤙

10/11/2026

How do you put into words a life that meant so much to so many? ❤️

Matt was so much more than my husband. He was my best friend, my greatest adventure, and a light in the lives of everyone lucky enough to know him. His life was extraordinary, not because of all he accomplished, but because of the countless hearts he touched along the way.

I could write a thousand pages and still never capture the magic of this man. But I hope these words give you a glimpse of the beautiful life he lived and the incredible legacy he leaves behind.

My love, your story will never end. We will make sure of that. ❤️

🐬 🤙 ❤️ LIVE. LIKE. MATT 🐬🤙❤️

View Ramon Matthew “Matt” Redford's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

View Ramon Matthew “Matt” Redford's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

09/20/2026

😉God Winks & Plot Twists: Matt’s Journey Through the Valley✝️

We have walked through the valley.
And then some.
Blood clots. Blood transfusions. Malnutrition. Weight loss. Surgery. Pain. Complications. Conversations no family ever wants to have—including conversations about the end of life.
But here’s the thing:
Not happening.
We are not at the end of our story. We are in the middle of it.
And through all of this, we have learned something about God winks.
They happen all the time.
But sometimes life is so loud that we don't hear them.
Sometimes we have to slow down. We have to make time to be still, reflect, and talk to God. Because without that quiet time alone with Him, the noise of everyday life can drown out the conversation.
When you make time for God—to ask for what you need, to pray, to listen—and then step back and look around, you begin to see all the tiny winks He is giving you along the way.
Little reminders that He is listening.
Little connections that seem too perfect to be coincidence.
Little answers to prayers that might have been easy to miss if we weren't paying attention.
And when you begin to recognize those things, something changes.
Gratitude begins to fill your heart.
And we believe that when you have gratitude in your heart, the true journey of healing begins.
We recently had one of those God winks.
While in the ER with a blood clot in Matt's lung, a specialist came in to take a look at his ostomy and make sure everything was okay.
Our surgeon has been with UVA, and with everything Matt has been through, traveling back and forth for postoperative appointments has become increasingly difficult. So moving forward, we are looking at working with a local surgeon here who can help us through this next chapter.
And wouldn't you know it...
The specialist they sent in to check Matt's ostomy had been trained by Matt's cousin, “Little Al” — the very best there ever was in Roanoke.
And just before this happened, we had been on the phone with Little Al.
He has been helping us navigate decisions all along this journey.
We were literally talking to him, asking for guidance, trying to figure out our next steps...
And then, somehow, the dots connected.
Right there in the ER.
A person Little Al had trained.
A person who could help Matt.
At exactly the moment we needed her.
That's a God wink.
Not because everything suddenly became easy.
Not because the road disappeared.
But because in the middle of the chaos, God reminded us:
“I've got you.”
Those are the moments we are learning to stop and recognize.
To be grateful for.
To hold onto.
Because the winks are happening every day.
We just have to slow down enough to see them.
And right now, while we work to get Matt stronger, we are incredibly blessed to have a terrific holistic team surrounding us.
A huge thank you to Pamela Burnham for connecting us with some of the best people we could have ever hoped to find—and for coming over EVERY SINGLE DAY, even late at night, to make sure Matt has everything he needs.
That kind of love is something we will never forget.
Our journey forward is one of hope, faith, natural medicines, love, prayer, God and mindset.
Mind. Body. Spirit.
All hands on deck.
The recent scans have given us some important information. The cancer has not spread outside of the areas we already knew about, although the liver lesions have grown some while we have been navigating everything else and working to rebuild Matt's strength.
So we keep moving forward.
We keep praying.
We keep nourishing his body.
We keep strengthening his mind.
We keep surrounding him with love.
And we keep looking for the winks.
Because we believe God is still writing this story.
And we are still writing it with Him.
This is not the end.
This is another chapter.
And someday, when we are standing on the other side of this valley, we will look back and see all the moments we couldn't see clearly while we were in the middle of it.
All the people.
All the prayers.
All the connections.
All the tiny winks.
All the moments God quietly whispered:
“I've got your back.”
And maybe that's the greatest lesson of this journey so far:
Slow down.
Be still.
Talk to God.
Listen.
Look around.
And be grateful.
Because sometimes the miracle isn't that the mountain disappears.
Sometimes the miracle is realizing you were never climbing it alone.

09/16/2026

THE RIPPLE GIVES BACK
Story #9- Thank You Michael Nopper

Hey everyone!

Rather than sharing an anecdote, I thought I’d hop on here and share a reflection on Matt’s impact on my life thus far.

I first met Matt right before the start of my sophomore year at First Colonial High School, when I was looking for a summer job in August 2018. My brother, William Nopper, had recently started working for Matt at Chesapean Outdoors, and in typical younger-brother fashion, I followed in his footsteps.

I can confidently say today that it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I ended up working for Matt for seven consecutive summers, during which I shared thousands of laughs, stories, and memories that I’ll carry with me for a lifetime. Working under Matt—and especially getting to know him more personally in my later years at Chesapean—taught me what it truly means to be yourself. He is a living example of someone who fully embraces his authenticity and follows his passions, and that mindset has left an indelible impression on me, especially throughout my college years.

When I arrived at UVA, I had no idea what I wanted to study or what I wanted to pursue. During my first two years, I constantly felt overwhelmed by my parents asking what I wanted to do, while watching my peers settle into their majors, line up internships, and begin mapping out their careers.

It wasn’t until I asked a professor if I could take an exam early so I could start my summer job with Matt sooner that I realized what I wanted to do was in front of me the whole time.

Unsurprisingly, I went on to study Environmental Sciences and took a majority of coursework in oceanography and other coastal sciences, largely because Matt’s passion for the environment had rubbed off on me.

Today, I work for a local engineering consulting firm—another connection I made through Matt—and I’m fortunate enough to regularly do environmental work for them.

If it weren’t for Matt’s conviction to follow his passions and, more importantly, to encourage others to do the same, I can’t say I would be the same person I am today. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

- Michael

As always,

The Nopper family continues to pray for Matt’s full recovery ❤️

09/14/2026

🌊THE RIPPLE COMES BACK💦💦
🥰Story # 8 🙏Thank You Kathy McCabe Maguire



I have so many great memories of raising Braden and Trevor down the street from Matt, Katie, Pearce and Caden, it’s hard to pick just 1 memory to share. Although we have moved away from that wonderful little alley between 46th & 47th, I’m so happy that we are still making memories together!

I knew God had his hand on my little family when 9year-old Pearce showed up, out of the blue, the moment I pulled into the driveway of my new house on 46th St. He had so much to say and his questions were accompanied by his big smile. “Do you have any kids?” he asked- “yes, I have 2 boys” and then he told me all about his family and how great the alley was to play in. I’ll never forget that moment. If moving to a street with 2 little boys the same age as mine wasn’t enough of a blessing, their mom was a friend of mine from high school, immediate friends for all of us! I knew I was where God wanted me to be.

When I reflect of my friendship with the Redford’s and what it means to me, I’m flooded with memories of their kindness and generosity. All of them, each Redford has given my little family
something to hold onto and cherish, the kindness they share will leave you feeling love. Matt and Katie instilled the power of kindness into their boys.

Matt was the alley “Dad” looking after all the kids skateboarding and jumping man-made ramps and hanging out at the bus top until the bus showed up.

There wasn’t a better basketball coach for Braden, than Coach Matt. Braden needed that kindness and direction from Matt, it was a big reason why Braden played as long as he did. When I moved away from 46th street, Matt would help Braden get to and from practice. What a gift!

Now, Trevor is old enough to work for Matt with Caden and Pearce, and he has learned so much.

Matt Redford Thank you for the positive encouragement and direction you give all the kids that work for you!

From the bottom of my heart, Matt, thank you for caring for the wellbeing of my boys like they were your own! 🙏

09/13/2026

🌊THE RIPPLE COMES BACK💦💦
Story #7- Thank You Amy Carder

It was 2009, my children's father wasn’t there the way a father should have been. He was absent when they needed guidance, encouragement.
When my oldest girl Amanda wanted to learn to surf, Matt- a family friend, stepped in. He took her out and taught her how to surf. He taught her more than how to read the waves, balance on a board, and get back up after falling. He taught her that falling doesn’t mean you quit. You paddle back out, try again, and keep going.
While her own father chose not to be there, Matt showed up. He gave his time, his patience, and his encouragement without asking for anything in return.
Amanda may have forgotten some of the waves she rode that day, but we, as a family, never forgot the man who was there to teach her.
Sometimes, the people who aren’t supposed to be our heroes become exactly that. Matt was one of those people for my family.
Amy Carder 💞

09/13/2026

9/13 UPDATE

Don’t quit…a forward we will go…
Our oncology meeting this week brought us the same news we’ve heard for the past several weeks: because Matt has not been able to gain enough weight and strength, chemotherapy is not currently an option. At this point, they believe it could do more harm than good.
So we picked our heads up and kept moving.
We weren’t ready to throw in the towel. We weren’t ready to accept that this was the end of the road. We have found another path and are very excited to begin working with one of the leading-edge holistic practitioners in the country—someone who will look at Matt as a whole and focus on nurturing and supporting his body while it fights.
Matt’s case is complicated. His colitis is still healing. His body is recovering from surgery. He is dealing with pain, weakness, difficulty eating, and the effects of everything his body has endured. And now we are waiting for scans this week to give us concrete answers about what the cancer is doing. We don’t want to operate on fear or assumptions. We want to know what we are actually facing.
Whatever those scans show, we will face it.
Because Matt is still fighting.
The wins may be small, but they are there. He is eating a little more. He is walking farther. His legs are getting stronger. He wants to live. And every day, we are giving his body the support and nutrients it needs to heal.
The hardest part for me has been accepting how little control I actually have.
I want to write the narrative.
I want to write the script.
I want to decide how this story ends.
But maybe that isn't my job.
I keep coming back to what it really means to turn something over to God. It means putting the pen down. It means admitting that I don't get to write this story—and trusting the One who does.
You must put your pen down and let Him pick it up.
So that's where we are today.
Still hopeful.
Still fighting.
Still believing.
One step at a time.
One day at a time.
Forward. Forward. Forward. ❤️