Markus Alexander Novotny

With profound sadness and heavy hearts, we announce Markus’ passing on January 2nd, 2024, with his family by his side.

He was predeceased by his father, Fritz, and is survived by his mother Annelies, his wife of 40 years, Eve, his daughter Shena, son Kyle, sister Verena (Dan), and younger sister Niki (Andre), and his many nieces and nephews.

Beloved son of Fritz Otto and Annelies (Strasser) Novotny, Markus or “Maxi” to his parents, was born in Vienna, Austria. Mark’s parents were both ski instructors in Austria and that’s when his love of downhill skiing began at a very young age. In 1965, as his father pursued his career with the United Nations, his family moved from Vienna to Montreal. His family’s passion for the sport continued as integral members of the Austrian Ski Club of Montreal. The winter months were filled with downhill skiing, from Sutton to Jay Peak to Whiteface Mountain. Markus learned to water ski and sail on Lac-Echo, Quebec, and perfected his skills throughout the summer months on Lake Champlain and during the later years on Lake Memphremagog. Suffice it to say he was a skilled and excellent downhill and slalom water skier.

In 1979, Markus was transferred out west to Vancouver with his employer, Rapifax, which became Ricoh. He was promoted to Western Manager and employed with them for 12 years. In 1983, Mark and Eve married, after being set up on a date by a mutual friend and Eve’s former boss, Gerry. In the fall of 1992, Mark and his family moved from North Vancouver to Nanaimo. After working in a few IT positions, Mark worked for Vancouver Island Regional Library. He was always the go-to guy for family and friends who needed help with any computer questions or issues, and he was always happy to help and offer his expertise. His computer expertise played a part in the weekly Skype sessions with his parents in Austria and the last few years with just his mum. This, along with continued trips to Tullnerbach, kept his connection with Austria alive.

After retiring in 2017, Mark would get together for Monday morning coffee with the ‘guys’. Never one for crowds or big cities, Mark enjoyed outdoor activities that included nature walks and hiking with his friends and family, hitting up the river for a swim in the summer, as well as getting out on his bicycle for different excursions and adventures. He also become a valued, core team member for both the Federal and Provincial Elections at the local level.

Markus was an avid reader of fiction and was also very passionate about music and learning about new artists - he enjoyed a wide genre of music - so much so that he even had his own music room. He loved sharing his ever-growing music collection with his family and friends. He burnt many CDs for playing at home, long car rides, and for family and friends. Other past times of Mark’s were watching and listening to a variety of YouTube channels that included anything from the news, late-night shows, car refurbishing channels, and All in the Family. He also liked to kick back and watch anything from old TV shows on MeTV to a variety of sitcoms. Toast and jam for breakfast along with tea that needed to be steeped for exactly 5 minutes, was a ritual and there was always room for ice cream.

Those who had the privilege of getting to know Mark, know that he was a quick-witted, sarcastic, and overall funny guy who loved to make people laugh. A perfectionist at heart, he did a great job completing or researching any task or job that came his way. He was also very kind, thoughtful, and reliable; a real stand-up guy who was always ready to lend a helping hand, provide a shoulder to cry on, offer a listening ear, or be a fantastic sounding board. On top of that, Mark also had no problem providing a dash of sass to keep you on your toes. He was never afraid to show his emotions even when it came to tears which was always seen as an admirable trait, especially by his daughter.

We appreciate how our families and friends kept things normal, light, and fun while being a great support system during Markus’ illness and treatment. We would also like to give a warm thank you to VIHA’s Home Care Workers, Occupational Therapist, RNs, Palliative Doctors and Nurses, Paramedics, Nurse Next Door, the BC Cancer Centre, and the various specialists who all cared for Markus.

A celebration of Markus’ life will be held from 1:30pm-4:00pm on Saturday, February 24th, 2024, at Brechin United Church located at 2020 Estevan Road, Nanaimo.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that you either plant something in Mark’s memory or make a memorial donation to a charity of your choice.

As Mark would say when signing off “Bye for Now” and “So jung kumma nimma zam” (so young we will never be together again).

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard". Winnie the Pooh