Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Our little community lost a great man

I’ve hesitated posting this but I feel compelled to do so because Mark deserves to be remembered as a great man, father, husband, local small business owner, friend and a bright star in our community. His family could use all of your good thoughts and prayers.

July 4th was Mark’s favorite holiday and like all the 4th of July celebrations he’s enjoyed in the past the day begins by taking his sons and close friends up in the mountains for some Independence Day shooting. The shoot had gone good, they were packing the trucks up to head home and help mom with preparing the evening festivities when a single shot rang out changing the lives of his 8 children and a LARGE extended family forever. One of his friends had violated several of the 10 commandments of firearm safety and because of that momentary lapse in judgment Mark took an AK round to the stomach. They loaded him into the truck while his son put pressure on the wound and they ran like hell to rendezvous with the medic unit. Mark died before they got to the hospital.

Mark comes from a big family and all his brothers and sisters have big families. Mark and his wife have 8 beautiful children and they are all loved and respected in our close knit community. Mark and a couple of his sons built the house that has become not just their home but a fun, safe place for their children’s friends to gather, sitting around a campfire or walking down to the beach or hanging out in the treehouse....basically just being together and enjoying the friends and family that adored him. He and his brothers started a lumber company on the island that’s become a successful business not just because they have good lumber at very fair prices but because they are friendly and helpful.

As they were running to meet the ambulance his son was holding pressure and talking to his dad trying to reassure him as best as that young man could given the dreadful situation he was faced with. I cannot fathom what that young man will have to live with watching his dad slowly slip away and not being able to do anything more than what he was doing. As his son held pressure some of Mark’s last words were “Jimmy it hurts”....then he slipped away and joined the angels in God’s loving embrace.

Mark loved God and instilled that faith in his children. Mark was a patriot that loved his country. Mark was a great, loving father to his children and a loving and devoted husband that adored his amazing wife. Mark was a pillar in our community that supported the various sports teams that are forever doing fundraisers in a small town that doesn’t have enough businesses to equal the demand...but that didn’t matter to Mark and his brothers since they always did what they could even during the lean years. Mark was a friend to everyone and his wife and 8 children are highly regarded. His children are great kids, kind, respectful and respected by their teachers and coaches. The love that our community has for the family is evident with the number of people that have been at their house since the tragedy happened. Our daughter has been spending a lot of time with Mark’s daughters just wanting to be there for them. I counted 16 cars and trucks at his house a couple of nights ago and that was at 10:30 at night.

The funeral was this morning and the church was overflowing so they opened up another area of the church to livestream the funeral, that area too was overflowing with people that loved him and his family.

When we first heard about this tragedy shortly after it happened my son said “Dad, the first thing I thought of was how strict you are about the rules of firearm safety.” We all know that if the rules hadn’t been broken that Mark would still be with us but I don’t want this thread to be about that. I’m sure that his friend that accidentally shot him will never forgive himself and I’d ask for those so inclined to keep that man in their prayers.

I’ll admit that my wife, children and I have shed a lot of tears this week as has our entire community. It’s such an unnecessary loss of life and I cannot comprehend what his wife and children are going through.

If you’re the praying kind and you’re so inclined I’d ask that you Please, Please keep the family in your prayers and pray also for the man that accidentally killed his best friend.

I’ve heard that since his wife was a stay at home mom raising 8 children to love God and Country that she may have to sell the house that Mark and his sons built themselves which really upset his sons. I know that if his extended family and this wonderful community have anything to say about it they’ll not sell and we’ll help them in any way we can. I’ll admit that I lost it twice in the past week. The first was when I heard what he’d said to his son just before he passed. The second time was when I saw that our daughter used her babysitting money to donate to their go fund me.

I’m not one to ask for money but I’m making an exception and for the first time in my life I’d respectfully ask that if anyone is able to help this family with any donation, no matter how big or small, I know it’ll be used properly and it’ll help support a family that is the kind of family that the Campfire would love.

https://gf.me/u/yfpvbx

Damn, that sucks! Prayers for all.

Damn. Condolences to all.

Unbelievable. A family man with 8 children. One AK round to the belly and it was all over.

What a shame. Unbelievable to me that a guy could be so careless, and stupid as to give a muzzle wave to a man's stomach with a loaded AK.

Prayers for the families involved.

Damn horrible deal

Sorry to hear this So many lives changed for the worse in the blink of an eye.

Aces i feel for all involved in this tragedy . prayers sent

Oh my. What a tragic, unexpected loss for the poor family. My prayers are with them. This is very humbling.


"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep....
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
I Thessalonians 4

Sorry for the loss of your friend.

Aces,

condolences to you on the loss of your friend. To the family too.

Godspeed Mark.

Terrible thing that is, I’m at a loss for words. My condolences to all.

Dan

My condolences on the loss of your friend, so unnecessary.

Prayers for the family.

What a sad story. His son is going to need a lot of support. I fell so badly for is family and his best friend. So very sad for everyone. Sorry for your loss Aces.

Sorry to here about this, prayers for the family and the friend.

Wow! So sorry for everyone’s great loss! It’s hard to fathom the pain that all of you are going through, especially the man.....that will never forgive himself for the tragedy! Our Thoughts and Prayers and Condolences to all involved. May God give you all the Strenght to carry on as Mark would want! memtb

Saddened to hear that, May Our Lord Jesus grant strength.

Sure sad.

Prayers for the family and friends.

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen but most especially for the prayers for the family.

The tremendous loss and sadness is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from the community, a community that I’m proud to be a part of. I suppose that the consolation in death, especially one as tragic as this, is rooted in faith. Faith that tells us there’s salvation for all of Us Sinners through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. That family, in their darkest hour, are not just “leaning” on their faith, they’re living their faith.

Our daughter is over at the family’s home now and she’s been with their daughters pretty much all week. There are a TON of people that all gathered at the family home after the funeral. Our son and his girlfriend stopped by to spend some time with the boys, our son played football with their boys and they’re all friends. Everyone is BBQ’ing and they’re having a big bonfire just like Mark would want. So instead of letting the darkness in they’ve illuminated their life with the love of God, Family and Country and celebrating a life well lived.

Thanks again everyone!

Terrible in our economy, God has his own design but so sorry for the family.