Mark J. Clayburgh

Mark Clayburgh Obituary

Clayburgh, Mark J.

Mark J. Clayburgh, 69, former furniture builder, home remodeler, Peace Corps volunteer, and Wells Park Neighborhood Association president, passed away on Thursday, April 28 after a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He is survived by his brother Bill Clayburgh of Bosque Farms, NM and nephews Scott and Bryan Clayburgh. A memorial for close friends and family will be announced at a later date.

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Published by Albuquerque Journal from Apr. 30 to May 1, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for Mark Clayburgh

4 Entries

April 13, 2018

Now, two years after his passing I discover Mark's obituary and feel compelled to add to the condolences and remarks about my friend Mark Clayburgh.
I met Mark in 1968 at UND. We had a mutual friend, we had a few beers together and soon became fast friends.
We shared an apartment the following year and, because I was from Canada and could not easily get home Mark took me home to Albuquerque with him. We had a great time.I was welcomed warmly into his family. He was very proud of his home and state and as he ferried me around to his favorite locales he talked a lot about his grandfather and his father and the relationship they had with the local native people.
When Mark went into the peace Corp he had two objectives one, to make a contribution to the world in some significant way and two to avoid participating in a war he morally opposed. To his credit he achieved both objectives. I had vouched for him to the FB I when they investigated him for the Peace Corp and was certainly proud of this great adventure he was embarking upon.
I was in grad school in Wisconsin when he returned and he visited us. He talked a lot about his amazing experiences in the Corp, and much about the spiritual ideas he discovered in the east, Hinduism, Buddaism some of which he incorporated into his own life philosophy. Mark was always a searcherfor meaning in life and these concepts seemed to help make sense for him. What a deep thinking, feeling person he could be!
After that visit our lives look different paths...I returned to Canada and as sometimes happens even among friends, we lost touch. Some thirty-five years passed before we reconnected. We talked on the phone several times and saw him at his uncle's cottage in Minnesota. My wife Sue and I also visited him at his home prior to his passing. At that point he was on oxygen but was a great host and entertained us with tales of his travels as only Mark could do.
In short, Mark touched my life in a meaningful way and is a significant part of my memories of life at UND and beyond. Rest well my friend..

Cheryl Carson

May 2, 2016

I was so very sorry to hear of Mark's passing. Mark is my cousin, son of my mother's brother. He and I spent an entire school year living with our grandparents in Grand Forks, ND and I do believe we were a handful, we were like 5 and 4, and always into something. During our childhood years, the Clayburgh clan would gather in Minnesota at the lakes where we swam, fished, water skied and had such a great time. As we grew older we didn't see each other all that often; but, upon returning from the Peace Corps, Mark enrolled at UND. While there we were able to get together and remember the childhood days; he and my soon to be husband (Ted) lived in the same dorm one year and I do believe that they had way too much fun. The last time I spent time with Mark, was when his dad passed away, After the services, he and I bought a bunch of hot chilies, roasted them and packed them up to take back to Florida. We worked on these chilies for quit some time, all the while chatting, laughing, remembering. Mark and I talked on the telephone about 6 weeks ago and had a wonderful visit. I will miss him and his peaceful, quiet ways. God bless you, Mark, I do love you. xxoo your cousin Cherry

Jacqueline Clayburgh

April 30, 2016

My name is Jackie Clayburgh and I have the honor of being Mark's second cousin. I was born and raised in Portsmouth, NH and even though we lived on opposite ends of the country I had the pleasure of spending many summers during my childhood with Mark at our families summer home in Minnesota. My father and his three brothers are Mark's first cousins and they have always had a close relationship spending much of their childhood together. Mark was also close with his uncle Ben who is my grandfather. When I think about the times Mark and I spent together I have many fond memories. The Mark I know is gentle, kind and full of compassion. Many summer nights were spent sitting around a bonfire making smores or skimming on the pontoon boat and watching the sunset with the rest of our family. However, despite his kindness and generousity Mark did always have an introspective quality about himself. There were times when I felt this imaginary wall of his own emotions that he kept deep within himself. At times Mark was reserve or even stoic with the personality of someone that came off as slightly standoffish. However, after anyone spent more then a few hours with him Mark's true personality begin to shine through. Mark is funny and definitely knows how to tell a good joke. He is cultured and I was always in awe when he talked about the many places he traveled to during his time in the Piece Corps. Mark is a person who feels great gratification when serveing others and was always there to help friends and family in need. In 1997 my grandparents suffered a massive flood at their home in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Their home was partially destroyed and it was clear that a lot of work needed to be done to restore the home back to its former glory. Mark obligingly took on the job and began the argouious task of restoring the house. Just last fall I was in Grand Forks and as I sat in my grandparents kitchen I was reminded of all the hard work that Mark had put in to restore their home and make it feel like new again. These are the memories of Mark that I will cherish forever. One of my favorite quotes comes from a Harry Potter book; it reads "after all to the well organized mind death is but the next great adventure." I truly believe Mark is now at peace and can begin the start of his next great adventure.
Sincerely your cousin, ~Jackie

Marie

April 30, 2016

My deepest condolence goes out to the family during this difficult time. May God provide you with the strength and comfort you need as you cope with your loss. (Psalms 9:9)