Mark Honska

1956 - 2014

Honska, Mark Mark Edward Honska M.D., 58, passed away on Tuesday, December 23, 2014, in Orlando, Florida. A service celebrating Mark's life will be held on Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 2:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Stillwater, Oklahoma. A memorial service will also be held in Winter Park, Florida on Sunday, January 11, 2015, at 1:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, Winter Park. Mark was born December 15, 1956 to Walter Lee Honska and Esther Mae Hazen Honska in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, attended Stillwater High School and during school worked part-time at the Stillwater Medical Center. Mark attended Oklahoma State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Pre-Med major in 1979. He married his high school sweetheart who was the love of his life, Susan LeGrand, and they moved to Oklahoma City, where Mark followed in his father's footsteps and attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma. He graduated with a Doctor of Medicine Degree from University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1983 and completed his Internship and Anesthesia Residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; graduating as Chief Resident of Anesthesia in 1987. Mark and Susan moved to Orlando, Florida, where Mark went into practice with several anesthesiologists, including one of his former professors from medical school, providing care to patients at Florida Hospital South and Florida Hospital Altamonte. He was a founding partner of the JLR Medical Group, serving patients in Florida Hospital locations throughout the Central Florida area. Mark was on the JLR Board of Directors for eight years and was a past president. Mark was Board Certified in Anesthesiology and Board Certified in Echocardiography, and practiced anesthesia in the Florida Hospital Adventist Health System for 27 years. The JLR Medical Group was merged with U.S. Anesthesia Partners in 2013. Mark was a highly respected and talented anesthesiologist, providing superior care to thousands of patients during his distinguished career. Mark enjoyed teaching Anesthesia Medical Residents and was a Courtesy Clinical Assistant Professor for Anesthesiology for the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida. In 2014, Mark received the Anesthesiologist Preceptor of the Year Award from the Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNA's) in recognition of his instruction and mentorship that he provided to them at Florida Hospital South, affiliated with the Adventist University of Health Sciences in Orlando, FL. When he was a young boy, family friends taught Mark how to sail on Lake Carl Blackwell in Stillwater. During medical school he purchased a catamaran and sailed on Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City. When Mark and Susan moved to Orlando, they took their catamaran and sailed the Atlantic Coast of Florida, Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. They discovered charter sailing and with Mark at the helm, sailed many islands in the Caribbean, the Greek Islands in the Ionian Sea, Vancouver Gulf Islands in Canada, the South of France in the Mediterranean Sea, Vava'u Islands of Tonga in the South Pacific, the Whitsunday Islands in Australia, the Balearic Islands of Spain and Croatian Islands in the Adriatic Sea. He enjoyed the great outdoors, loved traveling and hiking in beautiful landscapes including the mountains in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and the Pathway of the Gods along the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Mark and Susan had planned to spend part of their retirement in Stillwater and had purchased a ranch near Karsten Creek. Mark had a wonderful life and is now with his Heavenly Father. He was loved by many and will be greatly missed. Mark grew up in the First United Methodist Church in Stillwater, was strong in his Christian faith, loved his family and friends and was committed to serving others. His parents preceded him in death. Mark is survived by his wife of 36 years, Susan LeGrand Honska, sister Susan Honska Stunkel and her husband Craig of Bethel, Connecticut and sister Jane Honska Johnson and her husband Sam of Edmond, Oklahoma. He is also survived by his father-in-law and mother-in-law Ed and Alberta LeGrand, brother-in-law Alan LeGrand and his wife Carolyn, sister-in-law Alane LeGrand, sister-in-law Cora LeGrand, all of Stillwater and sister-in-law Karen Castonguay and her husband Perry of Omega, Oklahoma. He was a loving uncle to Tyler Castonguay, Bryce Castonguay and his wife Chelsea, Kylie Castonguay, Leanne Stunkel, Kevin Stunkel and his wife Maria, and Alicia Johnson. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Dr. Mark Honska SRNA Scholarship Fund, Adventist University Health Science Center, 671 Winyah Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.