Marks Hinton Jr.

Marks Hinton Jr. (born June 23, 1942; died September 20, 2023) was an adventurer, historian, author and investor. He was a wonderful husband, a wine lover, a loyal friend and full of fun.

Born in Houston, Texas to C. Marks Hinton Sr. and Mocco Dunn Hinton, he attended St. John’s School, graduating with the first class to complete kindergarten through high school. Marks counted his education there as having such a profound impact on him that he and his wife Barbara established a full tuition high school scholarship. He considered his St. John’s classmates and other childhood acquaintances as some of his best friends throughout his life. He served as stage manager and co-editor of the yearbook in his senior year. Marks played football and ran track. He scored a record speed in the 880-yard dash in multi-school track meet in 1960. His love of running continued throughout his life, completing 10 marathons and participating in numerous 5k’s and 10k’s.

After college graduation, Marks had a short stint in the California banking business, then returned to Houston to become the youngest member of the entrepreneurial investment firm, First of Texas.

In the early 1970s, Marks began studying and investing in wine and eventually opened a wine shop. There he met the love of his life, Barbara. After a “love at first sight” whirlwind courtship, they married and spent the next 47 years traveling the globe, visiting more than 200 countries, some of them multiple times.

Marks spent 35 years with various investment firms, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for publicly held companies as diverse as airlines, oil service, manufactured housing, rent-to-own, pawnshops, and wine producers. His clients considered him a friend and would often invite him and Barbara to be their guests at special events, such as the Kentucky Derby, Broadway premieres and deep-sea fishing expeditions. He and Barbara hosted many clients to Houston, feting them to black tie affairs and the Art Car Parade. He made life-long friends with business associates too, keeping in touch through the years. Marks retired on December 31, 1999.

Then the travels really kicked in.

Marks and Barbara travelled “around the world,” a journey that was featured in Vacations magazine. They sailed above the Arctic Circle and through Antarctica. They crossed the Low Pass in Tibet (21,985 feet above sea level) and swam in the Dead Sea in Israel (387 feet below sea level). They photographed mountain gorillas in Rwanda and crocodiles in Papua, New Guinea. The tales could go on and on.

Retirement also allowed Marks to explore his passion for history.

While volunteering at the Houston Public Library’s Texas Room, he began researching the stories behind the street names of Houston and surrounding counties. Ten years later and countless hours of interviewing neighborhood residents, pouring over local newspapers and obituaries, and driving thousands of miles, Barbara finally said, “publish the darn thing.” Historic Houston Streets: The Stories Behind the Names turned out to be a favorite with history buffs, gift givers and local bookstore owners.

This passion inspired him and Barbara to develop an online site (www.historichouston1836.com) documenting the cemeteries and burial rituals they had discovered in their travels around Houston, the state, the US and the world.

Because of Barbara’s involvement in The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, Marks developed a loved for outsider art and architecture. He Barbara expanded the Orange Show’s Eyeopener Tour adult education program from an occasional one or two bus tours a year to six tours annually, sometimes with two full busses and sometimes two weekends back-to-back. They both loved the Art Car Parade, even creating their own art car in tribute to the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

Mark’s joie de vivre was only surpassed by his quick wit, sense of humor and great stories.

He leaves behind his loving wife Barbara Bennett Hinton, wonderful in-laws and many beloved nieces and nephews. He and Barbara are especially grateful for his caregiver Lovoria Turner and Cindy Endres at Interim Health Care, Carol Saltzer and the Capstone Hospice team, the incredibly supportive staff at The Park Square as well as many friends and neighbors.

Marks and Barbara designed a special gravesite at Glenwood Cemetery marked with an Oghma stone.

A celebration of life will be take place on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 3:30pm at The Center for Glenwood on 2525 Washington Ave. Houston, Texas 77077 (713-864-7886). Doors open at 3pm, with complimentary valet. Graveside ceremony will be at 6pm.

Donations may be made to the Hinton Family Scholarship Fund at St. John’s School or Glenwood Cemetery. (Links Below)