I have many good memories of Mark throughout our lives. I knew him from elementary school on. One of the most heartfelt memories is when our son was in 3rd grade and was struggling with his teacher at the same school Mark had attended when he was a child. The everyday struggle was horrible to get my son to go to school, crying, vomiting, fits, etc. We were in the parking lot in the early morning getting the kids to school and my son had locked himself in the car and was extremely upset due to trauma he had experienced from a teacher. Mark saw what was happening and came over. After a brief explanation of the ongoing issue, Mark asked if he could talk to my son. My son stopped crying and opened the window to hear him. As my son listened quietly, Mark told my son that he had experienced the same things with the same teacher when he was in the 3rd grade, and even ran away from school one time. Mark went on to explain how important it was to go to school and enjoy it and be there every single day to get an education. He said he hated school and didn't want to learn and didn't do very well. He also told him that because of that, he was having problems finding jobs and he was having trouble feeding his family and paying for heat and other bills for the family. Marks understanding, quiet and kind words made such an impact on our son, Within 10 minutes, we walked into the school without a tear from that moment on...the rest of the school year. I will be forever grateful for Mark's kindness and thoughtfulness toward our son at that horrible time in his life. He will always have a special place in my heart for what he did. We are so very sorry to hear of Mark's passing and his struggle with illness. Today is a better day for Mark and he is with you in spirit forever. Remember the best times always. Sincerely, Christy (Sheedy) Stephenson