Mark Garoutte

William Marcus (Mark) Garoutte, 82, passed away Monday, June 2, 2025, at his home in Abilene, TX.
Mark was born October 8, 1942, in Dallas, Texas to the late Woodrow Michael and Rae Nell (Denton) Garoutte.
Mark's family moved from Dallas when he was 11. They had a farm, now the homeplace for his children, SE of Abilene. He grew up in the 50's, working the fields, raising livestock, riding horses. He told of chipping ice from piglets and warming them by the kitchen stove.
There was a good water source under their property. During the drought, people came from as far away as Coleman to get water, lining up to wait their turn. While Mark and his brother filled large containers, the men played dominoes, kids played and women visited.
A March 1954 article, in the Denton Valley Rambler mimeographed school newspaper, highlighted Mark winning first place in the lightweight lamb division, winning $5.00 at the County Show. He sold his lamb for $24.78 on the market. With the cost of the lamb of $11.00 and feed of $7.50, he netted $11.28.
Often, at night, from his bedroom window, he would watch the armed Atlas missile rise from its silo. This was when there were practice drills of ducking under school desks in case of a nuclear bomb.
Mark was acolyte for Heavenly Rest Episcopal Church's first service in the new sanctuary. People said they knew it was the Garoutte boys serving because they could see their cowboy boots beneath their robes.
Mark played basketball and lettered in football for Clyde High School.
He was not in a drama class but was asked by the teacher to take part in an upcoming play. She needed someone strong enough to carry the leading lady off the stage. They went to Dallas for the UIL competition. Mark said that after each time on stage, he was so nervous he would go to the restroom and throw up. As soon as his last appearance was over, he went straight to his truck and drove home. That weekend, he saw a friend in a store who asked why he had left. Mark then learned he had won first place for best actor. His trophy was displayed in the school trophy cabinet.
While Mark was in his senior year of high school, he was offered the opportunity to move to Colorado where he would finish high school and then attend the Air Force Academy on full scholarship. The president of the academy, General McDermott, flew to meet with Mark in Dallas. Mark turned down the opportunity because he wanted to fly, but his eyesight was not good enough to be a pilot. He was told he could be the navigator, but Mark wanted to be the pilot.
He graduated from Clyde HS in 1961 and then applied to a business school in Dallas. He was told he was too young to take the admittance test but they finally let him take the test, which he aced.
While going to business school, he worked at a 7-11, where he met and made friends with a young Sandy Duncan. She would leave tickets for him at the box office for plays she was in at Fair Park.
Mark split his work hours with both Braniff Airlines and Gulf Insurance. During this time he met and married Suzanne Harmon. They realized at some point in time that they had played together as little kids around 5 years old. She had lived down the street from one of his relatives.
An agency sent Mark to California to work for IBM. At IBM, he worked with at least a dozen other contract employees. Right after building a large main frame, everyone was let go but Mark. They sent him around the country to install new systems.
He was making pretty good money so took the opportunity to get his pilot's license.
The time came when Suzanne wanted to move back to Texas. IBM begged Mark to stay.
They lived in Dallas for a short time and then moved to Abilene, where he bought an Exxon station.
An IBM salesman came looking for him one day and took him to Hardin-Simmons to fix a computer problem, which he took care of in a few minutes. He wasn't looking for work at the time but found he had a new job, director of the data center.
At Hardin-Simmons, he made friends with the president of the university, Dr Elwin Skiles, and had the privilege of flying him on many fund-raising jaunts around the country.
Suzanne passed away in 1976, leaving Mark and 3 young children, Philip 11, Renee 8 and Michelle 4. A short time later, Mark decided it was time for new surroundings and moved his family to Dallas.
Mark and Sharlyn married in 1978. He worked for Fina and West TexasUtilities before a head-hunter sent him to USAA Insurance Company in San Antonio. He became their Senior Systems Analyst and retired from there after 15 years.
Mark's father was an English teacher and taught him the love of poetry. Anyone who met Mark would usually hear him recite some poetry: often Kipling's poems "Gunga Din" and "Ballad of East and West", or they might hear him break out in song, usually Willie Nelson or Kris Kristofferson.
He and Sharlyn would often start an old song in the evening. It could be "I Love You a Bushel and a Peck", "You, You, You", "Sunday Morning Coming Down", or "Flying Purple People Eater".
He liked to talk about his flying days, and his days as a youth breaking wild horses for the big ranches around the area. He would tell people that he was probably the only real cowboy they would ever know and would sing "This is the Last Cowboy's Song". He said it described his life as a cowboy.
Mark and Sharlyn liked visiting with family and friends, enjoyed traveling the United States, sometimes on their candy apple red '87 Honda Goldwing and later on their '97 Harly Davidson Ultra Glide. They liked attending live theater, reminiscing old songs, trivia, staying home watching old movies (Casablanca and Shane being his favorites) and meeting friends at Louisiana horse races.
Mark was preceded in death by his first wife, Suzanne Garoutte, sons, Philip Garoutte and Rodney Cave; his brother, Michael: his brother-in-law Ron Detrick.
He is survived by his wife, Sharlyn Garoutte of Abilene; his children, Renee Hilbig and husband Charles of Clyde, Tx; Michelle Garoutte, Nancy Melton and Randy Cave and his wife Lisa, all of San Antonio, Tx; son Rodney's wife Dee Cave of Royce City, Tx; one sister, Kay Detrick of Lampasas, Tx; twelve grandchildren and fourteen great grandchildren.