Condolence: I‘ve been thinking about you, Mark, especially these last couple weeks. I hope you are resting easy and are having fun wherever you are. Thank you for teaching me so many things that I still remember and use today. I’m sorry I never got the chance to properly thank you when you were still here. I want you to know that you touched my life in more ways than one. You made a difference. I know we came into each other’s lives for a reason and I wish I had more fight to give and pull you out. We had a lot of good times no less, and I’ll never forget them. I keep some of your artwork around my house and so you make it pretty hard to forget you. You were so brilliantly talented Mark. I hope you knew that. I still have yet to find someone who can cook as good as you could, by the way. Anyway, I’ll keep fighting the good fight and will make you proud. Sending love to you my friend. Until we meet again.

Condolence: I‘ve been thinking about you, Mark, especially these last couple weeks. I hope you are resting easy and are having fun wherever you are. Thank you for teaching me so many things that I still remember and use today. I’m sorry I never got the chance to properly thank you when you were still here. I want you to know that you touched my life in more ways than one. You made a difference. I know we came into each other’s lives for a reason and I wish I had more fight to give and pull you out. We had a lot of good times no less, and I’ll never forget them. I keep some of your artwork around my house and so you make it pretty hard to forget you. You were so brilliantly talented Mark. I hope you knew that. I still have yet to find someone who can cook as good as you could, by the way. Anyway, I’ll keep fighting the good fight and will make you proud. Sending love to you my friend. Until we meet again.

Condolence: You left this brokedown palace way sooner than you were supposed or expected to my friend. But I totally understand. Just now actually coming to accept it. We had a good run brother, just some things I regret not getting to do with you. Like paddling down the Gaulley in West Virginia together,or any river come to think of it, snowboarding in Taos, throwing rocks at the couple's at Sandals from atop Negril mountain with Barbara and Thunder(JAH RASTAFARI) hiking the Appalachian trail.... and so on. But the times we did spend together were some of the best of my life. Except when the bridge police pulled us over knuckle head, luckily the lawyer I recommended got us out of that one. You changed my life in more ways than one. You and your dad made me a true tile setter instead of some guy who just lays tile. When we lived together in the farm house you made me want to be a better roommate (dishes in the sink 😊), and also reconnected me with childhood. I knew I lived at 1250 Bristol Rd. when my dad was alive as a toddler but I never expected to see let alone live as close to there as I did when we lived on 2nd St. Pike. That made the home movies I would watch with my Mom and sister that much better. I want to thank you for that, just wish you were here to do it in person. I know you're in a better place now and the band is jamming and the drinks are free. But I still miss you brother and I wish I would have done something more to understand what you were feeling and going through. But I didn't only because you've always pulled yourself up when you were down. This time was just a little harder than the rest. I hope it's as cool up there as they've been telling you and me for the last 23 years. I'm sure it is and I know you being there made it that much sweeter. As much as I want to see you again, I can wait a little bit. Maybe do some of those things you and I didn't get to do together. That way I'll have some good stories to tell you. Rest easy my friend and listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock your soul.

Condolence: Mark, We didn't know each other as adults, but for a couple of years there (mainly sixth and seventh grade) you were a pretty good friend to me. You seemed to never have a bad thing to say about anyone. On the contrary, I recall you as one of the most approachable and easygoing classmates I had in those years. It was a lot of fun back then, playing baseball, touch football, or whatever else with you and other kids from the neighborhoods on both sides of Stackpole. I'll never forget acting in the school play that one time, along with a couple of the others, then afterward going backstage and getting out of costume, then going straight to your house for your birthday party. We played freedom that night outside and I angered one of your neighbors because I was hiding behind their shed, if memory serves me right. I also remember you fashioning a cardboard guitar for me so I could impersonate The Edge for a U2 skit we performed in music class. Fun times. It's funny how these kinds of memories come flooding back into your mind when you learn someone from your past has unfortunately passed away, regardless of how long or how briefly you knew that person. I regret now that I didn't know you too well after junior high. But, I'm thankful that I knew you in the first place. You really were a great guy to be around. My hope is that you are now in a better place, and that your family and friends remain strong through this difficult time. My condolences to them. Rest easy, man. Dave Cassel