I never had the pleasure to work with Mark or get the chance to talk to him. I felt like I knew him through stories from Paul.
This has truly been a year of loss for FIRST. We have lost so many dedicated to the growth of our kids.
My condolences to Mark’s family, friends, team members and all others who were inspired by him.
I joined the TechnoKats in the early summer of 2015. I immediately started learning from him. You couldn’t not learn from this man. He was a quiet man, but when you had an idea he would suggest some add ons and run with it. You could tell when he was passionate about an idea from that spark in him or the fact he would probably have a working prototype by the end of the day. He taught me how to use the mill and lathe. As I grew and my role on the team grew as well I worked very closely with him. I remember some of the out of the box thinking that so characterized him with a pneumatically driven pulley system in 2018 to the complete rebuild in the week building up to champs 2017. At Detroit 2018, I remember mark in his role as FTA stop by the pit during load in to check up on us and then brought us over his his field to show us the field setup, but more importantly to show off his fancy new scooter for getting around Cobo.
At IRI he always would direct the practice field construction (no matter what shape it/we were in.) He always looked forward to the Hawaii regional every season. It really shows his character that in his final months even in a wheelchair he always was at the shop helping to complete the 3rd gen New years Eve ball or his last robot.
I am a better engineer because of Mark. FIRST is a better organization because of him. You will be dearly missed Mark. Your memory and legacy will survive on through years of TechnoKat students and alums, and of countless lives you touched in and out of FIRST.
When Andy texted me this morning to tell me of Mark’s passing, my world stood still for a few minutes. I knew Mark left FIRST for health reasons, but had no idea he had ALS. (I lost a childhood friend 10 years ago from this cold, harsh disease.)
I worked Champs with Mark a few times and I never saw him get flustered, no matter what problem the field threw at him, when HQ wrote the book on what a FTA should be, all they did was follow around Mark and take notes. Mark celebrated FIRST every day in his role of mentor, engineer and volunteer. Just as we need to celebrate each other, celebrate Mark in all you do.
Thank you Mark.
I first met Mark at the very first event in OKC. Between Mark, Andy, and Wayne Penn, they made me realize what being apart of something really means. Working with Mark at different regionals and championships for 15 years was a great experience. He always made time to talk to people. He told me about the things that he had been working on and I told him my ideas on different things and showed me how to make them better. Mark and I had dinner at Detroit Championship in 2019 and had great conversation. I always enjoyed the conversation with him. RIP Mark you will be missed. Robert from KC
Lots of awesome stories so far, thank you everyone for sharing. I have had the pleasure of working with Mark the last two years as a fellow TechnoKat mentor after moving back to Indiana. 20+ years into my FIRST career I have met many people and had seen some amazing things, but stepping into the shop to work WITH Mark still gave me butterflies. Collaborating with him on designs and seeing his approach to prototyping have made me a better engineer and I hope to continue to make him proud. I am glad he got to see his vision for the new Kokomo New Year’s Eve ball finally realized last winter.
The TechnoKats were planning to solicit thank you’s and memories from friends, alumni, and colleagues just last week. We would still like to continue this effort but as memorial tribute to Mark and the impact he made. The above stories are a great start and I hope to see more contributed below, but I also ask if you are willing to share, please record a brief video message remembering Mark and submit to https://getmontage.co/s/6505. If you have pictures you’d like you share, please submit to https://photos.app.goo.gl/xQZL3dJPJETspgiT9 and I will get them added to the final montage as well. The montage will be compiled and shared with Mark’s family first and then available for everyone else to view as well.
Thanks everyone!
Do you have a time table for the videos and pictures?
Tyler beat me to it, but the deadline may get adjusted. If it does, I will post an update here.
I’m so sorry to hear this. Sending condolences, and all the hugs (virtually, of course) I can muster for our community. Mark was an incredible force in the FIRST world, and inspired so many of us. We are all so lucky he chose to be part of the FIRST community and share his talents.
<3
I met Mark in 1979, working with him at what was then Delco Electronics, years before FIRST existed. Mark was always full of ideas. A lot of the ideas for the 1998 Championship winning Team 45 robot were Mark’s, from the omni wheels Andy mentioned, to the roller gripper we used. My present team has “borrowed” the roller gripper idea on a number of occasions.
Those of us in Kokomo remember Mark’s championing the New Year’s Eve ball drop which started in 1999 or 2000. Mark designed the ball, with a few hundred night light bulbs, and the mounting for the winch used for the drop.
We will miss Mark. All the best to his family.
I met Mark at a post-season event in New Hampshire (RiverRage) some year back. I recall him spending 15 minutes or more just talking with a recent Team 811 graduate about an idea the young man had for an 8020-based CNC mill. It was wonderful to see Mark showing such interest in a person he had just met moments earlier.
He will be missed!
Thank you all for your stories and memories of Mark. Here is a link to his obituary. I’ll paste the visitation and funeral logistics here:
VISITATION
Wednesday
September 2, 2020
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Shirley & Stout Funeral Homes
1315 West Lincoln Road
Kokomo, IN 46902
MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL
Thursday
September 3, 2020
12:00 PM
St. Patrick Catholic Church
1229 N. Washington St.
Kokomo, Indiana 46901
Andy
The first time I saw a roller claw on FRC robots was 2007 at the St. Louis Regional. Mark was the one who showed me details, but he didn’t tell me it had been his design concept. By that year several other teams had done versions, including at least three of those that played in the Finals. I needn’t remind you which alliance won.
Regarding roller claws, I remember it differently compared to Kit. The 1998 TechnoKat robot was definitely a team effort. Phil Lundberg and I were the student and mentor involved with the roller claw and intake. Kit and some students created the drive train. Mark and some students worked on the arm and ball puncher. Jeff Burch was the lead mentor for the control system of everything.
I am sure that we all had input on all aspects of the robot design. Mark deserves credit here, but others do too.
Andy B.
Thanks for jumping in, Andy. My main memory of 2007 at St. Louis was how relieved I was to see Mark walking in as we started to set up the field. It was my first event as an FTA and boy did it help having him there!
My second memory is watching the Finals, again with Mark and Jerry Budd behind the table. Jerry was keeping score. You were kinda busy behind the glass. One of your daughters caused some confusion by posting on CD (using your account) at the exact moment that your alliance won the Regional — people here wondered how you had pulled that off.
I never met the man, but am familiar with his company. RIP, sir. We will carry on your legacy
I was lucky enough to work with Mark at the New York Tech Valley Regional as a first time FTAA. His guidance and patience helped me grow as a volunteer, and I am thankful for all I have learned from him. He will be sorely missed.
Sorry about that, Andy, and thanks for the correction. It thought it was Mark’s idea, but I’ve slept since then.
Kit
Mark let me stay at his house when I visited AM for the Team Indiana 2016 Ri3D— he concepted the idea for the Sally Port / Drawbridge double-jointed arm on that robot that several teams used as inspiration. He was a great man who inspired many and will be missed deeply. I send best wishes to his family, and will keep them in my thoughts.
Mark was my first boss at AndyMark in 2014. Mark had a unique way of efficiently solving problems. I still have not met an Engineer who is as creative as Mark. Mark was the best example for a young engineer because of his problem solving, technical, and communication skills. I still strive to be an engineer like Mark everyday. Finally, I remember how kind Mark was. He will truly be missed. My condolences go out to his friends and family.
-Matt McKinney