Mark was the love of my life... a man of substance... a natural rebel. He said what he meant and he meant what he said. He was my husband, friend, partner, confessor and adviser. He always tried to protect me, to make me happy and he was always the joyful one.

He was an extraordinary human being with a heart bigger than the brightest star. However, Mark was a loner so not many people really knew him but those who did loved him deeply.

Mark and I had a unique relationship, our own codes, signs, communication and our own ways of understanding each other. It was our own world and many times we laughed like children in Disneyland, others we fought like kids in kindergarten. And even when it's true that at times beer came between us, we always came up with a way out.

Mark was an incredibly hard worker, a genius at work but he didn't brag about it and his co-workers loved him very much not only for the kind of person he was but also because he was an excellent, reliable fellow.

Mark was loyal, authentic, sweet, honest, sincere, respectful, amazing, handsome, classy and thoughtful. He had a free spirit which was always adventurous... always looking forward to taking everything in. He loved history, in particular the Civil War and the Second World War.

This is the reason why he made me promise to bury the 25% of his ashes in Normandy where the allies disembarked on June 6, 1944 and guess what, these ashes are sealed in a Wizard of Oz music box thus showing the naïve side of his.