Mark was born into a warm, loving family in Colorado alongside three siblings. Growing up, their shared life centered around their church community, planting the seeds for a deeply rooted Christian faith that would guide him. His love of camping started early as a Boy Scout; he found a sense of peace in the outdoors- climbing, hiking, camping, in the mountains he loved.
He spent many years as a child delivering newspapers. He had many funny stories about this. As high school ended, he earned a proud acceptance into The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.
Mark graduated from The Citadel in 1988. He then finished officer training and airborne school in Columbus, Georgia. He spent several years stationed in Germany, where he made lifelong friends and spent his free time traveling to nearby European cities. After returning to the U.S., he served at Fort Bragg, North Carolina where he met and married his wife, Crystal. He was a proud ‘Red Leg’ Field Artillery Officer, a French linguist and eventually a MLRS Battery Commander. He served 3 years in 3rd U.S. Field Artillery Detachment in Germany; and three years with the 18th Field Artillery Brigade at Fort Bragg, where he held positions as liaison officer, battalion S4, and Multiple Launch Rocket System battery commander.
In 1999, Mark closed his chapter as an Army Captain and entered Graduate School at Wake Forest University. He earned an MBA in 2000. Prior to graduation he was hired by BellSouth/AT&T, where he worked for 25 years until his passing in 2026.
He was a loving son, brother, uncle and husband. A lover of all animals and a motorcycle enthusiast. We love him and miss him dearly.