July 16, 1986 - September 7, 2023
In loving memory ~
Mark came into our lives on July 16, 1986, in Whitehorse, Yukon and made his love and easy-going nature known from day one.
A beautiful gift to his family, he grew into an energetic and positive young man.
From a very young age, he was a great storyteller, voracious reader and gifted artist, characteristics that continued into adulthood.
He was a rare free spirit, generous and kind. His love of the outdoors was an essential part of him. Never afraid to be alone with his own thoughts but happy to be with people. Especially his family.
Mark was a graduate of Porter Creek High School, having spent his childhood between Yukon and Ottawa, and as a natural wanderer he used his intelligence, inquisitive nature, and physical strength in his work career in all the provinces and Territories from the Yukon to Ontario and all points North. His work experience was diverse, from prospecting, line cutting, claim staking, carpentry and diamond drilling. He shared hundreds of funny, hair-raising, amazing stories of the people and wildlife he met along the way. Most recently he was working in the Gulf Islands of BC and planning and designing a houseboat to be his primary home while continuing to spend time in his beloved Yukon.
Strong physically and mentally, he enjoyed a skookum hike in the mountains but also a "chat" with a companion to exchange ideas and philosophies. Mark accepted flaws in other people and loved them unconditionally but could be hard on himself.
Mark was a protector, loyal and bold, and never gave up on people or his goals. Anyone who knew him knows he had some very special women in his life. No names, but he treated his girlfriend(s) with great respect, his love was kind and supportive.
He was loved beyond words by his surviving family, Mom Marina, Dad Deryck, other Mom Gloria, brothers Doug and Alec (Aidan), Aunts Sandy (Dave) and Sharon (Carson), Grandma Christa, sisters Shirley and Julie (Dave) and cousins Shawn (Shannon) and Chris (Kayla). His other Dad John, Grandpa Hockley, Grandma Hockley (Momo) and Grandpa Pope loved him dearly, and he was there for them and his grieving family when they passed on.
Mark left this world on September 7, 2023, in peace and surrounded by the love of his family.
A huge thank you to Mark's friends who were able to visit and to the kind and professional care he and his family received by the staff in Intensive Care Unit of the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria BC.
No flowers or donations please, but we would appreciate it if you post your fond memories or stories of Mark on the Earth's Option Obituary tributes at: www.earthsoption.com/obituaries/obituary
We hope to have a Celebration of Life next summer in the Yukon