Mark the Great

Here is a post by Hillary Hall Kelshaw a friend of one of Mark's Daughters


Heidy and I became instant best friends from the moment Mark's family moved into our ward over 20 years ago. I fit right in to the family because my name started with an "H" too. The Richardson family adopted me as one of their own and took me on camp outs, outings, and family trips. I was able to go up and have Family Home Evening with them quite often with Home-made pizza and Rootbeer. One thing that I remember about Mark through all of these things was his never-ending patience with his girls. If Holly and Heidy were arguing, or doing something that he didn't like, Mark would say, "I bet that Hillary's parents don't have to tell her to stop arguing with her brother," or "I bet Hillary doesn't act like this for her parents." I hated it back then, but now I realize how patient and calm he was in those situations instead of just snapping at the girls.

The other thing that I noticed about him right from the beginning, was how much he loved Lynn. This was obvious, even to a six-year-old, and the love and respect that he always showed her was a good example for me and his girls to strive for in a spouse.

Whether I was helping Holly and Heidy do chores or helping put in a sprinkler system in a someones yard, Mark always had a way of making work enjoyable with his corny jokes and the stories he would tell.

I never got a chance to tell him how much I appreciated him being my other dad for so many years. I loved and admired him just as much as I do my own dad and I feel so bad because I am very sure that I never told him that.