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A creative knack: Passion for projects keeps Bellwood father, husband, nurse perpetually busy

By Holly Claycomb 8 min read

While being a nurse is Matthew Stich's full-time job, he's also a father, husband, artist, brewmaster, fossil hunter, hiker, photographer and candlemaker, to name just a few of the pursuits he loves.

Stich, 42, a graduate of Altoona Area High School, is also an author, having self-published two books -- one for kids and one for adults.

"The Lickiest Dog" is a book he originally wrote for his son, now 6, as a Christmas gift a few years ago.

It features some local landmarks, such as a barbershop in Bellwood and Canoe Creek State Park, a place the family loves to go, Stich said.

It's also the book that got him started writing.

"I would read to my son at night. ... He would want me to change the words around and create a new story," he said.

That led to the creation of a book for Christmas, complete with hand-drawn pictures.

Stich then wanted to make something more formal, his wife, Anne, said.

He pulled out his watercolors and redrew the entire book. What took him a month to create in the first place took about three months or "a couple of hours a day here and there" to recreate, he said.

Stich said his son, Alexander, loves the book and when he brought it home from the publishers, "then he made his own little book, too."

Writing a challenge

While caring for people as a nurse, looking for fossils or taking photographs comes naturally, Stich said writing does not.

"Writing has always been a problem with me" because of severe dyslexia, he said. That, coupled with some ADHD, makes writing a challenge.

Modern technology and spellcheck helps, he said, but because writing "wasn't natural for me, that made me want to do it to overcome it as a challenge."

Stich's natural knack for picking up hobbies and his ability to overcome challenges isn't a surprise to Tyler McCloskey, who has been a friend since the two were kids growing up in the same Altoona neighborhood.

McCloskey said they explored "every nook and cranny of Altoona on our BMX bikes."

"His creativity was evident even then," McCloskey said, "whether we were designing and digging trails in the green spaces around town or sketching animals in lifelike detail."

Using his artistic abilities, Stich has created several pet profiles for McCloskey and his family, who said they are cherished pieces of art, "reminding us dearly of our furry friends past and present."

Speaking of the past and present, Stich's second book, "The German Toolbox," stems not only from his connection to his son, but also to his ancestry.

"I found my ancestors were brewers," he said, noting his own brew-making efforts creates a "strong connection between the past and myself."

"The German Toolbox" has information about Altoona, too, as his ancestor Julius Stich came to the United States from Germany, alone, when he was 14 years old. Julius helped start Carrolltown, Stich said.

Julius also started one of the first lager breweries in the United States and his son started a brewery and soda factory in Altoona.

"My own story is woven with other ancestors, like my surly grandfather who fought during World War II in the 101st," Stich said. "I know there are plenty of detail-oriented books on Altoona but this one is more of a story" and family oriented, he added.

"The German Toolbox" ended up as a creative nonfiction narrative spanning from the 1840s to the 2000s, bringing together first- and second-hand accounts, as the story follows Julius and his journey to America.

'Amazing eye for art'

Stitch's creativity is what captured his wife Anne's attention nearly 20 years ago. The duo have been married for 16 years this year, Anne said, noting that when she first met Matt, through a mutual friend, "he didn't look like my type, but we ended up hitting it off."

"As I got to know him more, I quickly discovered he was a really interesting and unique guy. Unlike anyone I had ever met before," she said.

It's a benefit that the two share a lot of the same interests and hobbies, and have the same sense of humor.

"We are both creative people, we both enjoy learning and exploring new things," Anne said, adding "We enjoy nature and the outdoors; we enjoy trying new foods and seeing new places together."

Stich's creativity doesn't stop at writing, photography and sketching, his wife said.

"One day he decided he wanted to whittle his own wooden pipe. So he did some research online and bought himself some wood and carved a few beautiful wooden smoking pipes," Anne said.

Anne credits her husband's "amazing eye for art" for the fine art and landscape photography he enjoys. "He really has a knack for seeing and capturing the beauty in things," she said.

Once he sets his mind to something, there is nothing he can't do, she said fondly, pointing out his brew-making skills, the research into his family's history and the book about their dog, Lilly.

The final version of the book "he did entirely on his own without my help," Anne said. "The only help he had was from our son Alex, who suggested the idea that Matt hide a hedgehog on every page of the story."

Stich donated copies of his books to area libraries in the hopes that they bring enjoyment and inspiration to others. They can also be found on Amazon.

'Great multitasker'

When asked when he has time to devote to his wide assortment of hobbies, Stich admits he has insomnia and is a "great multitasker." In addition, he dropped a few hobbies -- such as powerlifting and jiu jitsu, both due to injuries -- and his hobbies are split into different seasons. He focuses on photography from spring to late fall,

candlemaking in the fall and winter, metal detecting and fossil hunting in the spring, along with growing his own hops and brewing.

He likes the journey involved in undertaking a hobby, the "fun in creating it," Stich said.

He also uses his hobbies to spend time with Alex, stating that his son particularly likes fossil hunting and detecting.

The Sinking Valley area is a good location for those pursuits, though sometimes the pickings are slim and "I sneak along some pieces to drop for him to find," Stich said, explaining that exploring is really great for children's developmental capacities and helps foster ideas.

He catches up on books while driving to and from work, a 45-minute trek, and also finds time to help take care of his father and a brother, who had a stroke.

McCloskey said Stich "embodies the essence of a gentle giant -- kind, thoughtful and incredibly loyal. His strong presence is matched by an equally large heart, especially evident in his role as a family man and his affection for dogs."

That kindness for others, McCloskey said, led Stich, while researching his own family tree, to help others reunite and connect families via ancestry.com "for fun."

'Adventurous' spirits

The two have been friends for decades and their families meet up as much as possible, said McCloskey, who now lives in Pittsburgh.

"As a brewer, Matt has a knack for blending unique flavors ... Although I will say his early days' experiments were 'adventurous' for me as his regular guinea pig."

Stich also seems to have a high tolerance for spicy foods and has undertaken "fearless culinary experiments," McCloskey said.

"Like creating a hot sauce that challenges even the bravest spice enthusiasts. ... I like hot sauce myself and always thought of myself as having a decent heat tolerance, but nothing like Matt's. To me, it might taste like banging your tongue with a hammer while he douses his food like it's ketchup," his friend shared.

Stich has helped

McCloskey improve his photographic skills and the two have gone on plenty of photo adventures over the years, he said.

"To sum up, Matt is like Altoona's answer to Ansel Adams crossed with a master brewer and a touch of Bob Ross's gentle spirit only with charcoal. His boundless creativity and dedication to his art forms -- whether it's brewing, writing, or photography -- are inspiring," McCloskey added.

"He is just a really creative and talented guy," Anne said of her husband.

The Stich file

Name: Matthew Stich

Age: 42

Home: Bellwood; Altoona native.

Family: Wife, Anne; son, Alexander; dog, Lilly.

Education: Altoona Area High School graduate; Bachelor's degree in art from Penn State; LPN from Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center.

Career: LPN at SunPointe Health, State College.

Hobbies: Art, photography, metal detecting, fossil hunting, genealogy, hiking, candle making and more. Previously enjoyed powerlifting and jiu jitsu.

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