William Mark Wessels

William "Mark" Wessels was born in St. Louis Missouri to Jeanne and Erwin Wessels, Mark was one of five boys. The family moved to Jacksonville Florida where Mark spent endless hours at the beach surfing. In his early twenties Mark hitchhiked across the U.S. to explore the west coast and he later settled in Oregon. He worked for the airlines for 30 years as a customer service agent, which allowed him easy access to traveling. Some of his favorite trips were to Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and he also had an unforgettable trip to Disneyland with his kids.

From a young age Mark had jobs at garden centers and learned plant names and gardening skills. He loved spending quiet time in the garden, and grew huge gorgeous, lush gardens with veggies, flowers, and herbs. He studied books on yoga, meditation, fitness, and wellness and worked those practices into his daily life.

Mark was also an avid hiker with a big sense of adventure and exploring the outdoors. He had a cabin in Welches that was close to all his favorite trails in the Mt Hood National Forest. He climbed to the top of Mount Hood twice and could frequently be found hiking along the Sandy River with one or more of his kids. In his forties and fifties, he remained strong and physically active, still weight training in the gym, hiking and camping. His kids helped him learn to snowboard and were amazed that he caught on so quickly as it reminded him of his days of surfing when he was younger.

Anyone who spent time with Mark has a memory of hiking, sitting by a river, lake or campfire laughing and telling stories. He had a great sense of humor with a contagious laugh and had the ability to light a group up in laughter with a perfectly timed one liner, goofy dance move or by raising a single eyebrow at just the right moment.

Mark has 4 kids and 6 wonderful grandchildren he adored, and he always knew how to make them laugh. An early onset of Lewy body dementia robbed him of precious time, but he kept fighting to have more laughs and adventures through all his struggles. He died peacefully in Boring Oregon, at age 68, surrounded by loved ones who will continue to tell his funny stories by campfires and wander his favorite trails in his memory.

Mark followed his loved ones in passing, his life partner Sue Hilterbrand, his parents Jeanne and Erwin Wessels, and his sister Christine Wessels. Mark is survived by His son Marko Wessels, daughter Erin (her son Ewan) Wessels, son Ryan (Wife Susan, kids Alden and Peyton) Wessels, and son John (Wife Austyn, kids Elliot, Arlo, and Coen) Hilterbrand, and Mark’s brothers, Mike Wessels, Phil Wessels, Tim Wessels, and Jim Wessels.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.batemancarrollfunerals.com for the Wessels family.