The celebration of one man’s redemption, fulfilling his purpose to love, passed away on October 18, 2021 at the age of 69 years. Mark loved and gave freely. Those who knew him say he was a great man. Great by what standard? The world today would say a great man is defined by his achievements, by what he’s accomplished, by his riches; but Mark wasn’t great for any of those reasons, his greatness isn’t measured by this passing world. So why are so many saying he was a great man? He bore others’ burdens. Even when he had nothing to give, he gave. Most would try to give in plenty, Mark gave when he had nothing. We witnessed it firsthand over and over again. He didn’t shy away from carrying your burden. He could see the weight you would be carrying and somehow he’d bend over and lift that burden for you. He found happiness in making others happy. So he would just spend time with his kids and grandkids, forever trying to make them happy. He experienced various suffering throughout his life and in his suffering he could relate to others and provide compassion. Mark’s greatness was rooted in love. His life was defined by love and giving. And love endures, everything else passes away but love endures forever. We are so happy he’s now with his Saviour, Jesus. His life was more evident in him than any man we knew. We know it didn’t come from any secret other than Mark believed God. Mark stored up treasures in heaven. Nothing delighted Mark more than to have his family and friends share their struggles with him so he could encourage them. Those who knew him could trust him. He never let his family & friends down. We know that death is not the end, it’s only the beginning and his family has the same Faith in Jesus. We can’t wait until we are all united again. In the meantime, we all have had the privilege to know a man so intimately that showed us how to live in this world. We Thank him from the bottom of our hearts. A private family burial and an intimate Celebration of Life will be held. Mark is survived by his beloved wife Patricia, eldest daughter Barbara (partner Robert) Johnson, sons Douglas (Christy) Vass and David (Jennifer) Vass, daughter Chelsea (Genci) Jani and their families (13 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild). In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly to Youth for Christ (https://yfc.net/) or The Salvation Army (https://salvationarmy.ca/) two organizations close to Mark’s heart. Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., Olds entrusted with arrangements. 403-507-8610

• Date : 2021-11-03
• Location : www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com