BadgerMan

Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 1, 2001
2,479
10
In 1995 I took a job as Quality Manager for a large tier one auto parts supplier in Grand Rapids, Michigan. While I was there, I kept hearing my co-workers speak fondly of my predecessor who had left for a position as Quality Manager at one of our better suppliers. This talk went on and on to such a degree that I started wondering how I would ever fill this guy’s shoes. Then one day I happened to meet him within the context of a business meeting. He was a fairly reserved person………very knowledgeable, succinct, right to the point. I spent a little time with him after the meeting. I made small talk, told him how things had changed since he had left, yada, yada, yada.

I left the company early in ’98, victim of a re-org/right-sizing. I had nearly killed myself with stress during those three years and had given up most of my interests outside of work. After that day I walked out, I vowed to spend more time riding and fishing with my children.

One Saturday morning shortly thereafter, my son and I pulled into the Whitecloud Trailhead. There was one other car there to which I paid little mind. As we were unloading our bikes, this man walked over and was asking if we had any oil. As I turned around I recognized him as HIM! I quickly said, “hey, I know you”! He was there all by himself……said his kids rode but he could not get them to accompany him that day. I said, “you should not ride by yourself……….why don’t you ride with us”? We became fast friends.

We went riding a lot but did not cover much ground as we usually had sons, wives, and daughters with us. It did not matter to us. As a result, we spent much time in the woods just talking, regrouping, and sharing life experiences. It was uncanny! “Remember the ’74 TM400”? “How about those all red ’75 CR’s”? “Tim, the red ones came out in ‘76”. “Oh, yeah”. “Man, I always wanted an Ossa” (he really did!). “Yeah, I used to ride a Montesa 250VE”. “That was a ’79, right”? “Yup”. I thought I knew and loved dirt bikes. He LOVED dirt bikes!
 

BadgerMan

Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 1, 2001
2,479
10
He also loved to fish and hunt. We made many trips after salmon and steelhead, spring and fall. We would also take our shotguns with us and do some grouse hunting after our trail rides. He was one of the few people that I knew who could actually hit a grouse in flight but he once missed one that was sitting on a log!

We had so many experiences over the years. We went riding, hunting, and fishing. We went to the races. We went to bike shows. We went riding with a rock star! We went to several Trailfests! We had a large jackpine fall on the cabin late at night during a wind storm while we were pondering potential terrorist attacks in the U.S.!

LOL!

He was in love with life………as much as anyone I know.

We would e-mail each other sometimes every day. Plans for the weekend, a new bike, maintenance questions, family matters………..you name it, I think we were pretty close. When I booted up in the morning, HIS e-mails always got read first, even before those from my boss.
 

BadgerMan

Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 1, 2001
2,479
10
He called me one day, December ’03 I think. He said he had cancer and wasn’t sure what to do. I told him that he should get in the ring and fight. Man, did he take my advice! They did surgery, removed some things, and sent him home. So what did he do? He went riding. They told him he should probably get a new liver so he borrowed a piece of his brother’s. They did surgery, put him back to together, and sent him home. So what did he do? HE WENT RIDING! He was one of the strongest men I have ever known, right up there with my own father who went up and shoveled snow off the roof the day the doctor told him he had pneumonia. He was my hero and so was Mark!

Well, he kept fighting…………he went the distance! This past fall I had the privilege to spend a lot of time with him. I would call and say “yeah, I have some free time, do you need any help with anything”? We would spend time in his barn working on bikes or an old car or whatever. After awhile he would call ME. I would ask him what he needed and he would say “nothing really, but come over anyway”. Wow, he just wanted to hang out with me. This guy that I had so much respect for just wanted to hang out with ME! We went to the Harbor Freight store, to the pharmacy, out to lunch, etc. What a gift from God to be able to spend that time together.

So now he has decided to move on. I once told him how I rationalized my father’s untimely passing. I said “I think that sometimes God is so impressed with some of us that he just wants us to be nearer to him”. I told him that if that is God’s plan, then I know why it will be happening. As a result, I know where he is tonight.

I have my own vision of Heaven. They continually groom the trails, it rains every night, the sun shines every day, and you can have a new bike whenever you want. It is raining tonight in Heaven and Mark is going riding in the morning…….. : )

Godspeed my friend!
 

woodsy

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 16, 2002
2,933
1
Thanks for writing that Tim.. Wayyyy cool!
and could he build a bike or what?????
WOW
 

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WildBill

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Mar 29, 2002
281
0
BadgerMan said:
So now he has decided to move on. I once told him how I rationalized my father’s untimely passing. I said “I think that sometimes God is so impressed with some of us that he just wants us to be nearer to him”. I told him that if that is God’s plan, then I know why it will be happening. As a result, I know where he is tonight.

I have my own vision of Heaven. They continually groom the trails, it rains every night, the sun shines every day, and you can have a new bike whenever you want. It is raining tonight in Heaven and Mark is going riding in the morning…….. : )

Godspeed my friend!

Tim,

Thanks for sharing. I never met Mark, but hoped that one day I would be fortunate enough to cross trails with him. After losing my best friend in '04, I truly believe in your version of Heaven. I hope that Mark will meet up with a guy on a WR450 and they have a great ride. If Heaven's Gate is a trailhead and those that preceded us are waiting for us there, why was my friend Mike always the last one putting on his helmet?

Godspeed Mark and God Bless his family...

Bill
 

team-green32

MAGA
Mi. Trail Riders
Member
Mar 27, 2001
395
0
Chicago
Very cool, he was one of the nicest guys I ever met.
 

3KDXXR2

~SPONSOR~
Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 3, 2002
603
0
Tim,that was a wonderful tribute to a wonderful Guy.
 
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