Mark Anthony Vashon

Godfather Uncle Gene, Godmother Aunt Carol, sisters Rhonda & Michelle, family and dear friends,

Gathered all here today family and friends and dear mother, Nancy. Some of you know me and some may know of me. My name is Cary, Marks cousin, I wanted to share this with you all. Some of Mark ‘s life through my eyes. No one knew Mark like I knew, Mark.

I’m Sorry that Mark has passed. Uncle Gene, Aunt Carol, Rhonda & Michelle, you lost a young son and brother to leukemia in the 60’s. I was very young then, maybe four and I think Mark was five. I can still remember what Mark said to me, “Cary, look at Glenn, he’s sleeping. He is now in heaven with Jesus”. I never forgot that!! And I know now what its like to lose a brother, my brother Mark. Yes it Hurts!! {Pause}.

At a young age, Mark and I bonded. We become very close and attached to each other. We were favorite cousins. We were the only boys in the family. I had three sisters and he had two. We didn’t live that close to each other, but we did get to spend time together during summer outings, birthdays, weddings, and during holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We look forward to the time we’d spend together. At an early age, Mark was definitely a unique character, likeable and interesting with a vivid imagination, ready to recite a movie he had seen or make up a story of his own. I remember one Christmas, I had received a cassette recorder for a gift. Around that time we were about 8 yrs old . When Mark would visit, he loved to make up stories with that recorder. One comes to mind, I think he called it ” The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. I listened with enthusiasm and amazement at how Mark could easily create this story from out of nowhere. He became each character, by changing the tone of his voice he would act out the different characters of the story and make all the different sound effects to make the story feel real and come alive. {Pause}.

One summer, we were messing around in his cellar, and going through one of his dad’s tool boxes, Mark found a large hunting knife and also a boy scout pocket knife. We took the knives out to the field behind his house and practiced throwing them and cutting twigs. We were hunters. At 9 yrs old we talked about future dreams. On our 16th birthdays, we planned to quit school and run off to Maine or Vermont. Young boys dreaming of future endeavors. We exchanged ideas on how, with our lever action rifles and hunting knives, we could live off the land. He would be Daniel Boone and I would be Paul Bunyan. Back then, life for us seemed easy, simple, and carefree. Two youths living off the land and being free. It never occurred to us that we might get home sick and miss our moms. {Pause}.

In high school, Mrs. Modeen, I remember her. Mark and I had her for an English teacher. She recognized Mark’s writing skills and talent for story telling. So she encourage him to pursue a hobby in writing stories. One of his first writings was about a giant alligator. I think he had my mom type the story for him. Not sure what happen to that story. Soon after, Mark moved to Texas with his Mom and sisters. After that we seem to loose interest in each other.

Maybe 30 yrs had passed, before Mark and I spoke again. In 2005 he called me in Oakdale California to see how the visit went with My Godfather. I remember our first conversation. He described the story of a screenplay that he had wrote “Bed, Breakfast & A Wedding”, and I said to Mark, “That sounds like a movie I just saw with the actor Owen Wilson, ”The Wedding Crashers”. Mark said, “The writers had a copy of my script, son of a bee’s they stole my story and changed the name. Hmmm, a hard lesson learned.{Pause}.

Over the past 5 or 6 yrs I spoke with Mark about half a dozen or more times. He would tell me about the scripts he was working on and ask me my opinion on them. I know Mark had dreams of getting a screenplay published and taking a part in directing that movie.

Many times I thought of inviting Mark to my home in California to meet my wife and kids, but he had his work and I know he spent his spare time with his writing and attending screenplay conferences, entering and winning writing competitions.

Of course life itself takes away your time, family issues and work becomes your life… time just seems to pass by, {pause} you can’t get to do everything you want to. I truly believed I would see Mark again.

In April, my wife had our third baby, Jace. I called Mark and told him how Jace looks like me, a Lausier, but my eldest boy Jericho, when he was younger reminded me of you Mark, he looks like a Vashon. That was the last time I spoke with Mark. {Pause}.

Mark, be at ease and prepare for your journey to eternal rest with the Lord our God, as I say goodbye, I will miss you dearly, but never will I forget time we had shared.

A verse from the Bible Mathew 6:31-34

“Do not worry, your heavenly Father knows your needs, thus seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added on to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.”
And some lyrics by Bon Jovi: “Livin’ on a Prayer”

We’ve got to hold on to what we’ve got
it doesn’t make a difference If we make it or not
We’ve got each other and that’s a lot
For love – we’ll give it a shot
Ohhha! We’re half way there
Ohhha! Livin’ on a prayer