Friday, December 20, 2019
Mark was a dear friend with whom our lives were intertwined in our 20's. I was Mark and Malia's Best Man and he was one of my groomsmen. We met working at Lipman's in Corvallis and became fast friends. His love of wine was evident back then as we (Mark, Malia, myself and others) would pile into the original VW bus and seek out wineries in the Willamette Valley. On those trips, Mark introduced me to Journey; blasting from his cassette player.
I visited Mark's home often; be it Corvallis, Salem, Gold Beach, or Portland. (The parties at the Western Blvd house were legendary!) Through Mark and Malia, I met two very special people (Shelley Thompson and Barb Sleezer) and enjoyed lengthy relationships with each of them. Of course, socializing seemed to always involve sharing M&M's hospitality at their home, local taverns or road trips to Central Oregon. Playing pool and setting up quarters and beer were mainstays.
Always accommodating, Mark would occasionally agree to be a guest lecturer for graduate classes I taught for PSU's Hatfield School of Government. His soft-spoken and dry humor won students over; even while discussing intra-agency communication and policies!
While it had been too many years since we sat down face-to-face; we often communicated by social media commenting on some topics that triggered memories from long ago. I always enjoyed Mark's photography and felt privileged to be invited to RagTag Rafting events. 30 years later I still count Mark as one of my dearest friends. We knew so much about each other publicly and privately that I was always amazed to learn something new about Mark.
As many have noted on FB, Mark loved his family and boys. He seemed particularly proud of how each one turned out to be men of character. I knew his sons as toddlers and boys, but not as young men and adult sons. Family and friends then work were important to Mark. I still can "see" Mark squinting with a Clint Eastwood demeanor challenging me to "make his day". Followed quickly grinning, "Oh, I get it ... nevermind!"
Our Lord God brings so many people into and out of our lives; some just a distant hazy memory ... and then there are gems such as Mark who you know immediately how blessed you were to know him and honored to be his friend!
Mark, I'll miss your FB posts and our bantering over "the old days". You are truly missed!
