Mark was born in Portland, OR, the first of four children born to Harold and Dorothy nee Probst Medici.
Mark had early childhood memories of being sat on a plank across the arms of a barber chair in his Grandpa Medici’s barber shop in Little Italy and rattling off the latest baseball stats for the customers and earning a coin from his beaming grandfather. Having an Italian grandmother meant he was treated to delicious food and unconditional love. As a grade schooler at St. Thomas More Mark got his ears tweaked by the nuns for getting into fights with bigger boys who were picking on his friends. When Mark was 12, the family relocated to Ulm, Germany, for a year where his dad, Hal, was a math consultant through the U.S. Department of Education on the army base. Mark excelled at school and baseball, even earning a spot on the German traveling team, but his parents had other plans. That summer found the Medici clan camping and touring famous sites across Europe, instilling in Mark a love of history and travel. Back home, Mark achieved his goal of getting into Jesuit and, though small of stature, earned the coveted position of middle linebacker. His football career was sidelined by an injury but the friendships and benefits of a Jesuit education stayed with him for the rest of his life.
Fresh out of high school Mark got a job stocking shelves in the shoe department of the downtown Meier and Frank store thanks to his Uncle Bob. It wasn’t long before Mark convinced his manager that he could sell shoes and sell he did. A year later he and Daisy Stickel were married and welcomed their first child, Monique. With a family to support Mark worked long hours in the retail world, rising into the management ranks, and by 27 was a buyer traveling overseas. On that first trip he was thrilled to get invited into the cockpit to “fly’’ the plane into Hong Kong. Over the course of the next 25 years he held many jobs in both retail and wholesale, eventually having management positions at Keds, Dexter, Ecco and Florsheim in Seattle, Boston and Chicago. While work meant lots of travel and time away from home Mark relished family time, which now included sons Mark and Michael. He enjoyed making Sunday breakfasts, sharing his love of music by spending Sunday afternoons at Tower Records after mass perusing music and going to music concerts, taking his kids and their friends out in their boat, and of course, lots of time with extended families. Mark delighted in welcoming his children’s spouses and grandchildren, including siblings’ children and grandchildren. Mark loved babies!
When the shoe manufacturing jobs went overseas, Mark headed home to Portland and got his Real Estate license. It was during this time he met and married his wife, Maureen Linn. His final job was working at the Salem Nordstrom’s in the men’s furnishing department the last five years the store was open. Whether it was helping a friend with math homework in high school, or helping a colleague set up a luggage display in a department store, or showing young co-workers at Nordstrom how to measure and fit a suit, Mark was generous with his expertise.
Mark’s life plan was ultimately doing his best with whatever challenge lay before him and that included the last two years of his life. As Dr. Kaufman said, he faced his health challenges with “nobility and grace”. Covid-19 created extra challenges for family but all Mark’s children made it out from the east coast to be with their dad. Family members sent love with gifts. He is greatly missed.
Mark Robert Medici died on Sept.15, 2020 at his home in Salem, OR. He leaves his wife Maureen, father Hal, children Monique Nerrow, Mark H. Medici (Annalee), Michael Medici (Amy), and grandchildren David, Margaret, Emma, Bayla, Eva, Harry, Blake, Cecilia and Ethan, stepchildren Megan Linn, Griffin (Becca) Linn, sisters Susan Engel (Wayne), Linda Bartolotti (Tony), Nancy Medici and partner Bonnie Schmidt, and feline fan Benji.
Mark was preceded in death by his precious granddaughter Olivia, and beloved mother Dottie.
The family expresses their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Barath N. Krishnamurthy at the Oregon Heart Center, Dr. John Strother and team at Oregon Oncology, Dr. Rodney Pommier and team at OHSU, and Dr. John Kaufman and team also at OHSU.
Private inurnment to follow at St. Anthony’s Cemetery.
Partager l'avis de décès
v.1.9.5