Mark Gorrell

Mark Gorrell (1941-2011) Beloved husband, stepfather, grandfather, architect, teacher and activist, Mark Gorrell passed away, of cancer, on April 6th at sunset, in his home, surrounded by his family and friends. Mark is survived by his wife, Nancy Gorrell, her children, Max Bechtle and Anne Higgins, whom he helped to raise; Anne's husband, Kevin Higgins, and their children, Brendan, Aidan, and Declan; Max's companion, Erin Shields and her sons Josh and Skyler; his father, Robert Gorrell, his sister, Sara Peterson, and all his beloved nieces and nephews and their children. Mark was born in Bishop, California, on January 10, 1941. He graduated from Reno High School in 1958, and from the University of Oregon in 1964 with a degree in architecture. He worked for several large architectural firms in San Francisco, then moved to Berkeley to start his own firm specializing in green and sustainable building. He became involved in local causes and politics, and was on the board of the Ecology Center where he actively served until his illness took him. For eleven years, he taught Architecture at the College of Marin, and loved his students. The City of Berkeley and the California State Legislature honored Mark by proclaiming January 25th, 2011 to be "Mark Gorrell Day." The City proclamation says in part: "he had the unique ability to defuse a tense moment with an absurd joke, thus relieving the tensions so that people could get back to problem solving." This was his gift. Mark's kindness, his sense of humor, and his devotion to friends, family, and the environment will be remembered always, as will his creative wild streak. He helped structure our thinking about zero waste and environmental justice, didn't speak ill of anyone, made jokes and bad puns as often as possible, and generally brought mischief, delight and integrity to our lives. We will miss him. A celebration of his full life will be held on April 30th at the Hillside Club at 2286 Cedar Street in Berkeley. Donations in his name may be sent to ecologycenter.org.