Born at Hunter Air Force Base in Savannah, Georgia, Matlovich was the only son of retired Air Force sergeant, Leonard Matlovich (of Czech ancestry), and his wife Vera. He spent his childhood living on military bases, primarily throughout the Southern United States.
Matlovich's birth took place at Hunter Air Force Base in Savannah, Georgia, where he was raised by a retired Air Force Sergeant named Leonard Matlovich (of Czech ancestry) and his wife Vera. His childhood was spent on various military bases located throughout the Southern United States.