Mark is my Brother, as kids we played sports together from Sun up to Sundown.
Wiffle ball ,over the line, flag football, riding our bikes to the beach on the riverbed and body surfing all day long.
We we're Cub Scouts together and did all the things you do as a Cub Scout, Mark won a couple Trophies for the Pinewood Derby cars he made for fastest car and car design.
Mark took good care of his younger brothers Jeff, Guy and Michael and our sister Liz always making sure that if any older kids were picking on any of us they'd have to deal with Mark and that meant getting "zapped", so we all had a good time in the 60"s and 70's living in Downey.
One time Mark and I had watched the Winter Olympics and this guy Jean Claude Keelly won a bunch of Olympics medals, Mark said "we can do that if some French guy can do it we can too"! We wore our version of good ski apparel...Levi's, no shirts, baseball hats, just two high school knuckleheads having fun and wearing a bunch of scrapes and many razzberries from the many many tumbles and crashes we had that day, the first of our many ski trips together.
Mark never quit on anything, that was something he demonstrated for his siblings and his kids we learned from Mark to always find a way.
Mark joined the Marine Corps and that was an accomplishment he ways always proud of, want to "be like Mark" I joined the Marine Corps too.
Mark had a very honorable service record in the Marines, receiving many Service Medals that distinguished his service for Leadership and meeting the Highest of Marine Corps Standards in his responsibilities as a Sergeant.
After the Marines Mark and I shared a couple apartments in Orange County and we had a heck of a lot fun and being of Irish decent we specialized in Shenanigan's, I want to emphasize Fun and Shenanigan's!
Mark possessed "Divine Discontent" he knew he always could improve, whether that was improving his education, excelling at baseball
,learning Ju Jitsu or improving as a Husband and Father he always strived to be not just good or better Mark wanted to be the best!
Being a devoted husband to Elizabeth, a great father to Matt and Katie was what he wanted to leave as his Legacy.
Mark you did it!
Elizabeth married a great husband, Katie and Matt had that special relationship with a loving and devoted Father.
Mark you know that your Son and Daughter will raise their kids to be good people, patriots, go getters in life who will be "Little Mark's" continuing "The Mark Freeman Way" or they may get "Zapped" if they do otherwise.
Via Con Dios Mark,
I miss you and love you all the days of my life.
Your Brother
Jeff