Matt Trygve Odegaard

Matt Trygve Odegaard, age 45, of Alexandria, passed away unexpectedly from a pulmonary embolism on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, at his home in Alexandria.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, December 13, 2025, at St. Lukes Church in Garfield with Pastor Brad Miller officiating. Music is provided by Kirk Landman. Interment will be  at Lake Charley Cemetery in Ida Township at a later date. 

Visitation will take take place one hour prior to the service at the church. 

Matt Trygve was born on September 15, 1980, to Wayne and Susan (Stearns) Odegaard in Alexandria. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Florida, where he spent his early childhood. When Matt was eight years old, the Odegaard family moved to Belize and later to Guatemala for his father’s work. During those years, he attended school in a one-room Mennonite schoolhouse with a single outdoor restroom. His experiences and curiosity of wildlife in Central and South America stayed with him throughout his life. The family eventually returned to the United States and settled in Brooksville, Florida, where Matt completed his schooling, graduating from Hernando High School in 1999. After high school, he attended the North Dakota State University (NDSU) for a time and later returned to Alexandria after his parents also relocated there. Matt had an impressive ability to recall random knowledge and facts. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and riding his motorcycle, and maintained a lifelong fascination with snakes and exotic animals, sparked by his childhood experiences abroad. Matt was dearly loved by his family and will be deeply missed.

Matt is survived by his parents, Wayne and Susan Odegaard of Alexandria; his sister, Kate (Jon) Christopherson of Alexandria; his nieces, Lydia and Anna; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in honor of Matt are preferred to the American Heart Association.