Our brief times with Mark were some of the richest in our lives and those of our children. When our son was having trouble writing for school, Mark came by to tutor him, but what he left with our son was inspiration; his writing is great since that time, thanks to Mark. Everyone was important to him, and he brought affirmation to everyone he met. He was not only a storyteller, he was a story listener as well. He brought peace and love in his bag of tricks, and you left his company warmed by the hearth of his fireplace, sitting in front of it, taking in the glow of the embers as your eyelids became heavy and you drifted off. My heartfelt condolences; he's spreading his words far and wide now.