Mark Abernathy

1942 - 2018

MARK ABERNATHY
1942 - 2018

Mark Abernathy was born August 23, 1942 to Bill and Barbara Abernathy. He passed from this world to be with the Lord on January 27, 2018.

Mark grew up in the Land of Lincoln on his family's farm in Concord, Illinois, with brother Mike, sister Jill and visiting cousins. Life for Mark on the farm meant never a shortage of pick-up ball, homemade Concord elderberry pie, and farm work growing corn and raising hogs. This is also where his lifelong commitment to Cardinals baseball began. He, his brother, and friends would often traverse "into the big city" of St. Louis to catch a game. He graduated from Western Illinois University with degrees in agriculture and biology, and his love of country western music helped pay his way through college as he sang and played guitar with his band, "The Rising Sons."

Mark served as Captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1968-72, stationed in Korat, Thailand during the Vietnam War as an electronic warfare officer in the 553rd Air Reconnaissance Wing.

Later stationed at Sacramento's McClellan AFB, Mark started his foray into politics managing campaigns. Mark became a leader in the community, and was the Chair of the Fairlake Young Republicans club when he met his future wife, Cathy Swajian, the California "Nixonette" Chair. Together they enjoyed working side-by-side building the largest Young Republican organization in the state.

Mark married Cathy in 1981 and moved to Bakersfield. Cathy was chief of staff for Congressman Bill Thomas for the next 20 years while Mark built his political operation with Western Pacific Research (WPR), running nearly 350 candidates for local, state, federal and party offices with an unparalleled 97% victory record. But it wasn't only about winning to Mark.

As his Worldview developed over the years, he was devoted to mentoring others in faith and in politics, teaching them by word and deed to appreciate our nation's founding documents, as he did with candidates he recruited. Understanding the heart of the Declaration of Independence- " ...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights .." - Mark emphasized that our rights do not come from the government because if they did, the government could equally take them away.

One of his greatest political accomplishments came in 2003, when Mark and Ted Costa of Sacramento conceived of and led the successful recall of Governor Gray Davis - drafting the recall petition, gathering hundreds of thousands of necessary signatures, and building a statewide campaign that eventually ousted Davis and helped elect Arnold Schwarzenegger. Looking back, the family remembers the night at the dinner table in '02 when Mark first announced, "Californians are ready for change. A recall could work." And he tirelessly made it so. It was the first successful recall of a California governor and described in December 2009 as the "one event [that] shaped California politics more than any other in this decade."

Over the years, Mark became not just the campaign consultant, but lifelong friend to many successful politicians including Kevin McCarthy, managing his campaigns for Kern Community College Board, State Assembly and U.S. Congress and for McCarthy's predecessor Congressman Thomas, Congressman Devin Nunes and State Senator Jean Fuller, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, Assemblymen Vince Fong and Trice Harvey, Supervisors Zack Scrivner and Mick Gleason, Kern County Assessor Jon Lifquist, Mayor of Bakersfield Karen Goh, Bakersfield Councilmembers Jacquie Sullivan, Ken Weir, and Bruce Freeman, and Mike Hestrin as Riverside County District Attorney. Mark was an elected member of the Kern County Republican Party for 25 years.

Family, music and baseball were equally important to Mark as politics. He travelled annually to Cardinals Spring Training in Florida with daughter Margaret and cousin Greg Truax. On weekends, Mark was a devoted coach to his daughters and their friends in softball. He along with Cathy attended every game the girls played no matter the chaos of the political season. At home, Mark could often be found pulling out his guitar to sing some Merle Haggard or Marty Robbins story-song.

Mark's business included real estate development, rental properties and re-development of Downtown Bakersfield where he operated JC's Place, until recently. He was also an active member and elder of Christ's Church of the Valley in Bakersfield.

Mark is predeceased by his parents and brother Mike. He is survived by his wife, Cathy Swajian Abernathy; and his pride and joy - his two daughters , Margaret Abernathy, attorney in Washington DC, and Madeline Abernathy, junior at Bakersfield Christian High School; sister Jill (Bill) Johnson; nephews Jason Abernathy and Nick and Todd Johnson; and niece Michelle Abernathy Horn.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, February 10, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Valley Baptist Church, 4800 Fruitvale Ave, Bakersfield. Private burial service will be at the National Cemetery.