Sonya Alene Mattson-Gaynier Memorial Book. pdf

In Loving Memory

Sonya Alene Mattson-Gaynier
8/22/1986 – 4/28/2020

Sonya Alene Mattson-Gaynier was a badass rock star warrior queen whose existence
tore a hole in the fabric of the space-time continuum. She was the best person anyone
could possibly conceive of, with a genius intellect, bombshell looks, a delightfully dry
yet razor-sharp wit, a bottomless well of enthusiasm for this world and all its many
splendors, and a generosity of spirit that kept her in constant concern for the
wellbeing of those she cared about. Despite her superiority over the rest of us,
Sonya was the kindest, friendliest, and most down-to-Earth soul, willing to converse and
traverse with us mere mortals, and in doing so, repeatedly brightening the day of anyone
so lucky as to cross her path.

We will never fully understand why she was taken from us at such a young
age, but we will always fully understand that it was much, much too soon.
Sonya was born on a tree-fruit farm in Reedley, California, the daughter of Diane Lynn
Mattson and the late Dennis Arthur Mattson.

Sonya fiercely loved both her parents, and she would frequently delight her friends
in Los Angeles with tales from the farm in such vivid detail that they would’ve sworn
they were there. She was also the cherished older sister of Kate Alexis Mattson, whom
Sonya always considered her young Padawan learner. Sonya took great joy in teaching her
young apprentice about the ways of the Force, the world, and Nordic heavy metal music.

Sonya graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Film, and soon thereafter
relocated to Los Angeles. It was in the quiet West L.A. neighborhood of Palms that
she met the man who would become her beloved husband, Craig Gaynier. Craig and
Sonya were together for over ten years, and they had just celebrated their 6 year, 11 month
wedding anniversary the Sunday before her passing. As they had dedicated their lives to
making each other happy, Craig will now dedicate his existence to honoring Sonya’s legacy
with every fiber of his being. While she and Craig had no children of their own, they were
proud pet parents of their Snowshoe Siamese, Xena: Warrior Kitten, and Sonya relished
her role as the cool aunt to her numerous nieces and nephews, whom she loved dearly.

Sonya greatly loved living in Los Angeles. She was drawn to the city by her
passion for the film industry, which ultimately lead to her finding a home at FilmTrack, a
film software company. She was a highlyvalued and dedicated project manager with the
company, working diligently to implement enterprise clients from around the globe. She
worked two separate stints at FilmTrack, the most recent of which alongside her husband
Craig, and they were often referred to as the heart and soul of the company.

Aside from her family, friends and film, Sonya’s other great love was live music. She was
constantly finding shows to go to with Craig, Kate, or both, and with every rock show she
attended, her thirst for live music became even more unquenchable. With her interment at
the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Sonya will be forever in the presence of live music, where
she will surely enjoy the hosted concerts and movie screenings the location is known for.
Sonya’s sudden and tragic absence from this world will be mourned for eternity.

Sonya Alene Mattson-Gaynier, 33

8/22/1986 – 4/28/2020













"No one's ever really gone."
-Luke Skywalker

In Loving Memory
Sonya Alene Mattson-Gaynier

8/22/1986 – 4/28/2020