A Tribute to Mark, January 28, 2015

Good Morning, 

Thank you for coming.  Don’t ever doubt the power of your presence, a prayer, a kind word, a ‘thinking of you’, a bouquet of flowers, a container of soup, or a meal.  Your love and kindness plus my faith in Jesus will carry Brady and me through.

Today, I hope that in the midst of deep sorrow, we will laugh.  Lots.  Mark was the funniest guy I knew (though I am discovering through this process that Brady is a close second). 

I’d like to share with you the Mark I knew – funny, supportive, respectful, loving, and kind.

·         Mark was an optimist…   A glass half-full kind of guy. He supported me numerous times through challenging situations by helping me break them down into manageable chunks and see the positive.  I’ll rely on this wisdom in the days ahead.

·         Mark made me laugh.  When I’d say, “I know that I’m not the easiest person to live with” Mark would reply, “No kidding.”

·         The first time I pointed out that Mark was getting a few grey hairs, he was quick to say, “You try living with you and see if you don’t get a few grey hairs”

·         I’d come home from shopping, excited about the deal I found -  “Mark, look!  I got this top for $14.99!  Regular price, $46!

Mark would point to his shirt, “How much is Mark’s shirt?  Free.”   Yes, he loved his Fire Department issued clothing; partly worn navy blue t-shirts became part of his everyday wardrobe at home. 

·         Mark sacrificed for his family.  When I was sick, Mark would sleep on the couch and when he was sick, he would sleep on the couch.  “Don’t worry about poor Mark,” he’d say.

On a serious note, Brady and I cannot count the number of shift changes Mark did so that he could be at the race track.  His goal as a father, having lost his dad when he was 7, was that Brady would know him.  To many of you in this room, we pause to say, “Thank you”, for trading with Mark; your sacrifice contributed to memories for our family.

 

·         Mark made things happen… ‘just get ‘er done’.  I often had a sense that Mark was quietly scheming and secretly searching for a new vehicle or garage project…  

 

One morning he came home from a night shift and said we needed to talk.  The look on his face made me think that he had some difficult news to share.  He announced that he’d bought a Harley and that it was being delivered that afternoon.  Can you say, “Marriage Counselling?”

Mark had some definite dislikes, likes, and loves.

·         Some of Mark’s top dislikes were dress shoes, driving in Vancouver & seafood.  When I reminded him that he ate tuna sandwiches and always ordered Mushrooms Neptune at The Keg, he’d say, “That’s different.” 

Mark liked

·         Emergen C. One sneeze by me, which I’d tell him was likely allergy related, sent him off to mix up a package of Emergen C.  “I can’t be sick” he’s say.  Regarding his germophobe tendencies, I’d remind him that he had an immune system.  “You can’t be too careful,” he’d reply.

Mark loved

·         Cats – NOT!  Our most demanding cat was Smudge.  Whenever I was away overnight, I would text him in the morning, “How was your night?”  “How’s Smudge?”  He’d reply, “Up since 4 am with PITA”.  Though he called her a pain in the *, he diligently followed her feeding and medication schedule. 

·         All things Shelby Mustang, Racing, BC Lions and Canucks.

·         Backyard burning.  If I asked him to put a pizza box in recycling, I’d be annoyed when I saw it sitting inside the kitchen door.  It took me a while to discover that he was burning them out back.  I told him more than once that I was going to report him for burning out of season.

·         Going to work. Consistently.

·         Being “on-call” for his family… He was always a phone call or text away for Brady and me, willing to help with a listening ear or wise advice.

·         The garage.  I often wondered if Mark got through the hard stuff on the job by creating in the garage.  Mark was talented at metal and body work, and painting.  I was always in awe of his natural abilities.

·         Mark loved Brady, Reo, and me.

There are too many things to mention that I will miss. Simple things like a shared Tim Horton’s coffee, trips to our favourite coffee shops for tea and dessert, walks in Fort Langley, Chicago Fire, The Voice, Shark Tank and Maui.

Mark, your love is the greatest gift of all.   I am so thankful for the gift of you and the memories that will carry me through my lifetime.

My only hope of getting through this is my belief that we’ll meet again when my time on earth is through.  In the meantime, have fun with the cat!