Matthew Thomas White of Red Lake and Minneapolis, age 29, left to begin his journey to the spirit world on Saturday, May 11, 2019 in Minneapolis. Matthew was born April 16, 1990 in Bemidji to Juel Fairbanks, Sr. of Minneapolis and Kari White of Red Lake and grew up in Red Lake. He attended Red Lake Senior High School until March 21, 2005, when a fellow student shot and killed seven students.
He was one of five wounded in the attack and witnessed the shootings. He ran to the middle school to warn them and that school went into lockdown. Despite being safe, he chose to run back to the high school to help others.
He was credited by the FBI with leading several students to safety while being shot once in the arm. He was never able to return to school after that. Matthew spent most of his life as a handyman and was a commercial fisherman on Red Lake.
He married Alexis (Chaboyea) White on September 10, 2010, and they later separated. He was an avid fisherman and hunter. When he wasn’t hunting in the fields, he was hunting for bargains at garage sale, where he was known as a shrewd bargainer.
He enjoyed soccer and joking around with friends, often using an accent or voice to make them laugh. He was always up for another adventure, sometimes dragging Alexis into it with him. But most of all, he will be remembered as a loving and caring husband, father and son.
He enters the spirit world to join grandmothers, Elsie Fairbanks and Karen Chaboyea; grandfathers, Charles White and Joel Fairbanks, Sr; uncles, Lee, Robert, Joel and Darin White; aunt, Roxanne Fairbanks and nephew, Brenan Stately. Those left to mourn his early crossing are, his wife, Alexis White; his parents, Juel Fairbanks, Sr, and Kari White; sons, Cortez White of Bemidji and Lennox Chaboyea of Redby; daughters Alexcia (Chaboyea) White, Madison and Sophia White, of Redby; as well as sisters, Aundraya May, of Minneapolis and Torey Louise Fairbanks, Cass Lake. A wake for Matthew will begin at the Red Lake Community Center on Thursday, May 16, 2019 starting at 3 pm and will continue until his Catholic Service, Saturday, May 18, at 10 am.
Father Jerry Rogers will officiate. A private inurnment will be held at a later date at St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Red Lake. Pallbearers for Matthew will be Fred Little Wolf, Joe Hix, Benjamin Tyler, Jerin Stately, Zach Johns, and Scott Smith.
Honorary pallbearers are Kevin Bealieu, Victor Roy, Jr., Gary Dudley, Dave Head, Robert Dudley, Bruce Johns, Ross Baker and the late Tony May, Jr. and all his aunts and uncles. Matthew’s care has been entrusted to Northern Peace Funeral Home of Walker. Online condolences to the family may be left at northernpeace.com.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
