Mark the Great

Memories from a Class Mate
This is a post from Alden Weight, Class of '85, Spanish Fork High School.

I'm sorry to hear Mark Richardson, fittingly nicknamed Mark The Great, is no longer with us. He was truly a great man. He had a way of putting anyone he was talking to immediately at ease and helping them feel like he was their best friend. Not only that, but he was genuine about that--I'm convinced he really did see those around him as his best friends. I truly looked up to him and respected him for that.

Others have commented about his morning announcements, which were wonderful and hilarious. I also remember him playing football and playing Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof. But some of my best Mark Richardson memories came after high school. For instance, I remember meeting him on campus at BYU one morning. Something was on my mind that morning--I don't remember exactly what--but I was discouraged. In typical Mark style, he took the time to talk to me cheerfully for a few minutes about this and that, with his trademark friendly grin, and that picked me right up. I credit Mark with the fact I can't remember what was bringing me down. It appears from reading several tributes here and from several other friends that he spent a great deal of time lifting many other people's spirits.

Mark and his young family also lived for a time in my parents' old ward in Spanish Fork. I remember visiting one Sunday when Mark was the Gospel Doctrine teacher. Mark had prepared a lesson using clips from the Karate Kid teaching about the importance of sticking to basic Gospel principles like prayer, scripture study, going to church, and so forth. The young Karate Kid didn't understand why the Karate Master wanted him to wash the car, paint the fence, and so forth using very precise motions--until the Master showed him why those motions were crucial during an attack. Mark's point was that it was the same for those basic Gospel practices, which we're tempted to think of as trivial until we understand that using them is likewise crucial to our spiritual survival. It was a memorable lesson--I still think about it nearly 15 years later.

My prayers and deepest sympathies are with Mark's family. I'm sure their father has gone to a much better place, and I'm sure he'll be doing work there that he's been prepared for here. But even knowing that, it's not easy letting such a great man go--even harder, in fact. I can hardly imagine their feelings at this time and pray for their comfort. I'm a better person for having known him. Thanks, Mark! You will definitely be missed.