Mr. Mark Andrew Gillis

When Mr. Mark Andrew Gillis walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Mark was and how he impacted those around him. Mark was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Mark wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Mark was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

       He was the son of Norman and Maria Jean Gillis. Mark was raised in Manhattan Beach, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Mark might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Mark was always in pursuit of life's endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

      Mark was raised with three siblings. He had two older brothers Mike and Bob and one younger sister Rhonda. Mark was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Mark was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Mark well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

      As a young boy, Mark was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Mark was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Mark took part in football, basketball and baseball. He was a high school football star. In his spare time he liked to surf and surf and surf. Mark had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

      During his high school years, Mark responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Mark was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Mark absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Mark, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Mark a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything.

      Mark did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He earned his Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Southern California. Mark's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Mark was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Mark was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Mark was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. Later in life, he became friends with Mike and Laurel Flack, Trina Capka, Chuck Maynard, Mark and Ellen Fitzpatrick, Joey and Margaret Grey, John Baldanado and his son Matthew Gillis.

      Mark was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Mark, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Mark's skill at understanding his child's feelings, his sensitivity to his needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Mark was blessed with one child: Matthew Gillis. They were also blessed with two grandchildren, Holden and Andrew.

      Mark was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life's possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was Human Resource Manager. He was employed for Grey Metal South. Mark was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Mark had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Mark's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

      Mark was an Air Force Veteran serving four years. Mark saw action for Vietnam. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Sergeant. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

      Because Mark loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were golf, baseball, basketball, movies and a good conversation. Mark had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Mark's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Mark derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Mark played football. Recreational sports included Golf, baseball, softball and basketball. Mark was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were watching USC Trojan Football.

      Because Mark was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Mark's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. Mark found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Politically, Mark was involved with the office of Mayor Tom Bradley.

      Mark was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Reseda California. Also, St. Michael's in Cary North Carolina for 10 years. During that time, he was a CCD teacher at St. Catherine's. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

      Mark's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Mark took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included Catalina Island in Souther California. He would vacation there in the summers for a week with his family enjoying great weather and cold drinks.

      Mark Gillis passed away on February 5, 2010 in Cary, North Carolina. He fought cancer for a year and a half but it did become the cause of his death. He is survived by his son Matthew Gillis, daughter in law Shanna Gillis, his grandsons Holden and Andrew Gillis. Services were held at St. Michael's. Mark was laid to rest in Cumberland Memorial Gardens in Fayetteville, NC.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Mark. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Mark Gillis for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Mark was always more than willing to share life's experiences with his loved ones.