Matthew Jackson was born in Brixham, Devon, England. His family emigrated to Canada in March 1968, moving first to Calgary, AB and subsequently to Victoria, BC in 1969. Matthew went to school in Oak Bay in Victoria, attending Monterey Elementary, Glenlyon Norfolk and Oak Bay High Schools. He later obtained a B.Sc in Kinesiology at the University of Victoria and continued his studies at the University of British Columbia, where he graduated in with a B.Sc in Physical Therapy in 1992. Matthew continued his training in physiotherapy throughout his career with numerous courses in orthopedics and manual therapy. He worked at Cook-Pandora Physiotherapy for many years, before joining Rebalance at its opening in 2013.

Matthew was involved in sports throughout his life. He swam competitively as a child and later swam for the University of Victoria. He was also active throughout his life in surfing, climbing, hiking, skiing and road-riding. He died suddenly in the ocean off a place that he loved, Long Beach in Tofino, doing a sport he also loved, surfing.

Matthew will be missed greatly by many people, including his mother, Barbara; his sister, Deborah; his daughter, Naysa; Naysa’s mother, Dawn Harris; his fiancée, Wendy Irish; his extended family in England and abroad; and his large network of friends.

Donations to the Matthew Jackson Memorial Fund will celebrate Matthew’s passion for physiotherapy and providing care to others, his active, healthy lifestyle and great love of the outdoors. Your gift will pay tribute to Matthew’s life and career by supporting students in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. Final decisions will be made in consultation with the family.