COLUMBUS, Ohio — For many, the lasting memory of Matiss Kivlenieks will be his radiant smile, an outward expression of his inherent joy and optimism. But there was something else at play in that ever-present grin, said those who knew him best.
The late Blue Jackets goaltender was memorialized in a one-hour service on Thursday in suburban Columbus following his death in a fireworks mishap on July 4. The service was understandably emotional, but it was also dotted with moments of levity and sweetness.
Members of Kivlenieks’ family, including his mother, Astrida Meldere, traveled from Riga, Latvia, to attend.
