I interviewed Mark last month for an article I'm writing. That was one of his quotes. It rang true this morning as I was a little upset as my travel plans had just been ruined and I decided to come and vent on here.

Imagine my shock when I saw the announcement. At that point nothing seemed to matter. My problems were petty and inconsequential compared to this.

I never got to thank Mark for the interview- we were unable to set up an interview on the phone, so we did it via email. I had been procrastinating. I think I have learned a bitter lesson today. I don't want to sound like a Hallmark Card, but I've learned today to always let people know how much their work is appreciated because you never know when you might not have a chance to.

I never met Mark, and apart from a few emails back and forth (in which I was trying to be really bland and professional) never spoke to him either, but I have his answers to my questions and his patience in dealing with me, even when he was on holiday as a legacy to the kind of man he was.

My deepest condolences to his family and friends and to all those on here who were affected by a great man. I barely knew him and it hurts, I have a huge sense of loss, so I really feel for you guys that grew close to him over the years, those who had the honour and priviledge of befriending him. God bless at this difficult time and I hope and pray that you gain the strength to deal with this.

I joined this forum in preparation for moving to Switzerland. I found more than information. I found a community. At the head of that community was Mark. With generosity, wisdom and an ever-ready willingness to offer help, he was always there. Step out of line and you knew you would be told and yes… I was told. Though like any true leader, the integrity in which it was given meant you knew it was for the greater good and fundamentally fair.

As with the head of any community, we assume they will always be there, doing their thing that only they can, forever. This makes this news even harder.

For Mark, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of this forum. For his loved ones, my sincere and heart felt condolence.
For those of us of the English Forum community, a pledge that Mark’s dream will not only live on but meet all his expectations.

Thank you Mark, for creating this forum.

I don't know anything about Mark, or even a great deal about this website - but it does appear like he put an awful lot of hard work into making this site/forum the success it seems to be today.

I know it will prove an invaluable tool for anybody moving to Switzerland, and therefore would like to say **thank you** Mark for your hard work and dedication!

Nobody deserves to be taken young, but I truly do hope you are resting in peace.

Take it easy fella.

Please keep the reputation coming for Mark; I am collecting them for Lynn as, together with this thread, it is a great representation of what Mark meant to all of us.

Keep it up, guys

Mark,

We only met you once at the EF Christmas Party last year and we only had a
quick chat but it was enough to find out what a very nice and friendly guy you were.

You created something big with this forum and helped so many people. We
hope this forum will persist long after you've gone. Our thoughts are with your
family and all your close friends in this very hard time.

Rest in peace
Carlo, Joanne and Cameron

I only knew Mark through his informative and helpful answers to my questions when I joined this forum and through private email exchanges. I honestly admired his altruistic motives for setting up the EF.

Through the EF he touched almost everyone's life. If you made a friend on here or if you picked up valuable advice or tips or laughed at something funny in the jokes thread, then it was due to the fact that mark had set this whole thing up.

He's been snatched away at a all too young age but I think (afer reading his Bio on his website) and reading some of the comments here, that he
managed to pack a lot of stuff into his life. The one small consolation, (if you can call it that) is that he was involved in his passion for diving when it happened.

This forum will continue as Mark's legacy.

So although I never physically met him, I actually miss him and wish to convey my condolences to his fiancé Lynn and to his family.

Tom

Like many others on the forum, I also unfortunately didn't have the chance of meeting Mark. I have spent the last day though reading through the posts by others and looking at his personal website and I must say I am moved. There are no words that can replace the pain felt when somebody leaves too soon, however I was personally inspired by all that he has accomplished. His life was cut short at a young age, but he has done more things, traveled more places and helped more people than most people ever do in a lifetime. The fact that he really lived his life is no doubt worth celebrating. My condolences to Lynn, his family, and friends. I hope you can find strength in each other and in your memories of Mark during this hard time.

Really sad news, thanks for creating the forum and rest in peace Mark.

This forum represents not only a huge achievement technically, beating the search engines on a shoestring where companies fail to achieve the same with unlimited budgets, but socially too in bringing thousands of people together with a common positive goal: to help one another.

I don't doubt it's not the only great achievement during Marks life, but I'd like to thank him for providing the vehicle through with others have helped me during unemployment, purchasing a house, renovating a house and having a child, I'm sure this list will grow with time too.

Creating and administering a website is one thing, but Mark has built a strong community for the black sheep here in Switzerland, and that is an impressive legacy.

A great loss. I never met Mark, but because of him though this website, I would not have met as many great people and friends that I have.

Rest in Peace

I couldn't agree more, when I joined the forum, I had been here for 3 years & was feeling socially isolated. Via the forum, I have been able to communicate with a bunch of people I would never have a chance to meet in daily life & have been fortunate enough to meet a few people, some of whom I know will be good friends for life.

For me this is the ultimate tribute to Mark, through his selflessness in putting this together & funding it from the start out of his own pocket, we have been able to build a strong community of support, as well as many real & "cyber" friendships.

Although I can't claim to take credit for the following poem, Oldhand's words reminded me of a poem that was published in the "Nations 100 Favourite Poems" in England. It was a random poem read out by Griff Rhys Jones on the corresponding BBC TV program - a British soldier in Iraq had left an envelope to be delivered to his parents in the event of his death with the poem below. The poem wasn't officially listed in the top 100 however there was such an overwhelming response from the British public that it was included in the book with a special mention in foreward.


Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!

I think the above poem is quite a fitting tribute to Mark as all of us were touched in someway by him and I think with the continuation of the forum in someways Mark will live on.

Other than donate to the forum is there anything we can do to support Lynn and Marks family at this time?

Right now, today, not really. But when the wheels need to be turned, offers of help will be welcome.

As Lynn said earlier, she intends to organise an even to celebrate what Mark meant to us all. He would be pleased if lots of people where there.

You know by now that Mark was very passionate about diving, I wanted to share a couple of pictures (that Mark never saw) and a quote from Marks diving highlights...

Wreck of the Thistlegorm, Red Sea, Egypt
Lying in around 30 meters of water near the tip of the Sinai Penninsula lies the wreck of one of the most famous wrecks available to sport divers - the SS Thistlegorm. Many attractions await the diver: tanks, trucks, motorcycles and steam locomotives just to name a few. The site can get busy, so I usually make sure that I dive this from a large live-aboard boat that stays on the wreck overnight. A night dive on the Thislegorm was probably one of the most memorable dives I've ever done...

Mark and I were buddys for that dive and I will always treasure the memory of that one as much as he did, it was truely special.

Heres some the pictures taken of me an Mark as the sun is going down getting onto the Rib before that dive and earlier for exploring the wreck. There were great dives, but not the only memorable moments with a memorable person.

Sincerest condolences to all Marks friends and family.

Annie

Mark must have been a very special person to touch so many hearts! It’s a shame I never had the chance to meet him this time round – hopefully some other time in another life.

“While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil” by John Taylor.

Rarely, if ever, has my life been touched so deeply and personally by a person whom I have never met. Would that we all could leave such a legacy.

Mark, you shall be missed.

I would also like help just let me know what i can do.

I will be there to show my respects for Mark, Lynn, and his family.