Sonya Mattson-Gaynier

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 well-being 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 California State University, 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 highly valued 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 the couple was 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 attend 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

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Sonya's Go Fund Me "Let's pitch in to take care of the urgent costs for Craig like paying bills, funeral expenses and worrying where groceries may come from."

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-craig-with-funeral-expenses-for-Sonya

The viewing and Services will be available on a live stream link provided by Angeleno Mortuary: https://scsandche.wixsite.com/creative-memories/copy-of-livestream-9

To send flowers to the family of Sonya Alene Mattson-Gaynier, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.