I am deeply saddened to hear of Mark's passing.  Mark was a tremendous "boss" and mentor during my time at MNU and beyond.  His support was instrumental in helping me achieve educational and career goals.  His leadership and integrity were keystones of our time together and he represented Christ in all he did.   I am grateful that I was able to work with Mark and become his friend.  The family is in our prayers.

From Mark’s cohort members in the University of Pennsylvania’s Executive Doctorate (Exec Doc) Program in Higher Education Management: 

Our hearts go out to Mark’s family, friends, colleagues, and others whose lives were undoubtedly enriched by knowing Mark.  We will miss him dearly and we feel fortunate not only to have shared the Exec Doc experience with him, but even more so, to have had the joy of being Mark’s friend.  

To share how much we all thought of Mark, below are some excerpts from emails we exchanged today as we processed our sadness over hearing of his passing. 

*Mark had a way about him that always made me feel uplifted when I was in his presence.  

*I can still picture his heartwarming smile and his encouraging and spot-on advice, and of course, his humor.  

*Mark was a truly remarkable soul and I feel beyond blessed to have known him. 

*I will always remember Mark as a supportive friend and classmate who enriched our experience at Penn with his intelligence and humor. 

*He was such a lovely soul and great human being. 

*He put out so much goodness into the world and C9 was a very fortunate beneficiary. 

*I am grateful for the opportunity to remember Mark. 

*Indeed, he was a remarkably good and decent man.  

*I will remember fondly his warmth, good humor and always present sense of decency.   

*I remember him as measured, very smart, nurturing, patient and yes – with an infectious smile and positive outlook.   

*Mark was such a great guy. 

*Mark was one of those individuals without pretense who was kind, funny, and warm to all. 

*He was a great addition to our cohort.  

*Mark was always a colleague of good counsel.  More importantly, he was a great friend. 

*I will always remember Mark as a gentle soul. 

*I remember Mark as a true friend and tremendous support during the program. 

*Mark was a good man and beloved member of our Cohort, a friend, a source of light.

I am a classmate of Mark's from the Penn doctoral program.  It was a great pleasure and privilege getting to know Mark during our time together at Penn.  I very much enjoyed our general conversations about life and our discussions about the issues and challenges that we each faced in our leadership roles in the higher education sector.   Mark was a gentle soul, a good person, a supportive colleague, and a loving husband and father.   He is one of the few people that I have crossed paths with during my life about whom I  have said ... I really wish I could be a little bit more like him ... always positive, always encouraging, and always very balanced in his views of the issues of the day.   My special thoughts and prayers go out to Mark and his entire family.   Sadly, he left this world way too soon...

I was Mark’s pastor from when he was in Jr. High (Immanuel Wesleyan in Kansas City), during college days, and then after he and Christy were married (West Park Wesleyan in Overland Park).

Mark and his family were leaders in both churches. We have so many shared and deeply treasured memories! Mark definitely inherited his dad Clayton’s dry wit and sense of humor! Laughter surrounded them!

When Mark got a new bike, he gave his old bike to our son, Scott, when Scott was in early elementary school. Dave Smith then welded a bar across the handlebars and it became a BMX bike! That is a precious memory even now for Scott!

When Mark was in grad school, he and many other students in those dot-matrix-printer days, would generate their documents, then bring to the church office to print them out on my laser printer.

Once Mark came with a major paper, due that morning, needing to be a minimum of 30 pages. When he opened it up on the office computer, it was 29 pages … a page short! Wow! There wasn’t time for a re-do! So I suggested we up the font by .01 … with that, it was suddenly a perfect 30! … That may have been the lawyer-to-be’s first manipulation of, or modification of, evidence! He brought me the note from the professor who was as impressed with the laser print as with the content of the document!

One Sunday morning after second service, Mark and friends were around the organ chatting with Clayton. One of them asked Clayton what it was like to have to hear the same sermon twice every week! Clayton said, “I’ve never heard the same sermon twice!”

When Clayton died while on vacation in Hawaii, the airline inadvertently flew his body home to Kansas City, then back to Hawaii, and then back to Kansas City. Mark’s remark was, “They should at least give him frequent flier miles for both trips!”

For Mark, and for the many always with him, life was fun – spiritually rewarding – joy-filled!

We so treasure our friendship with Mark!

Mark and I were classmates at Penn and I will always be thankful for his support and friendship as we pursued our doctorate degrees.  He was a man of great intellect and judgment and it was no surprise that his dissertation was chosen for distinction.  Despite his academic and professional accomplishments, he had a charming modesty and was always quick to praise his colleagues.  I have fond memories of our many long conversations over coffee about a wide range of topics about which he always had interesting and perceptive insights. His passing leaves a big void and he will be missed by all who knew him. 

As Mark’s colleague at MNU, I admired his dedication to his students and their successes, and his love for the university. Although his time on this earth seemed too short, his meaningful life will be valued and treasured. Prayers for you and your family, Christy, that God will give you comfort and peace in this time of sadness. 

Very fond Memories of Mark!  He was in the youth group at Immanuel Wesleyan Church.  Lots of car washes, youth meetings, etc. together.  Then I married his cousin!  Praying for God's Loving Arms to surround the family.  May He comfort those who mourn.  So thankful we do not grieve as those who have no hope!



Thinking of all of you that loved Mark.  Cindy, I have not lost a child but have lost an adult grandson that was my son's only child.   Like you I was widowed many years ago.  So many life lessons and thru them all, God was always there, giving hope and strength when I had none of my own.  Dean and I want to extend our caring sympathy to all of you.
Lynne

I had the privilege of working with Mark for many years at MNU! He was truly a gentle man with a big heart! I knew he had been fighting cancer and am so sorry to hear of his passing, but I know he is at home with his Lord! My condolences to Kristy and the girls. May God’s presence settle over you and may His peace fill your hearts!

Marilyn Van Waters
Family
Mark was so blessed to be born into a Christian Home where he saw his parents read the Bible and pray.   Later on he met and married a Christian girl.  I was privileged to watch Mark grow up and am so proud of all he accomplished in his life.
One memory I remember was when he was a teenager.  We were invited over for dinner and they had a couple of pets, a cat and a dog.  The cat would climb onto his shoulders and curl around his neck like a scarf.  Even with Mark moving around, the cat would stay on his shoulders until Mark would remove him.  Now the dog was something else.  Off of their familyroom was a door leading to the bedrooms.  Mark would go over and open the door and his dog would run over and slam the door shut.  Of course Mark would go over and open the door and again the dog would slam it shut.  I was never able to train my dogs to do that.
The passing of Mark has left a big void in my heart and life.  I will miss him so much.  Love you Mark.

To Mark's wife and daughters,
First, I want to say how sorry I am for the hurt living in your hearts right now.  I hope the hurt is eventually replaced by wonderful memories and the knowledge of what a good man Mark was.
Second, I worked for MNU for a little over five (5) years.  During that time Mark was my boss.  I've had many jobs in my career.  I've not had a better boss/leader than Mark.  Mark was fair.  He listened.  Truly listened.  He made me feel understood and supported.  Mark was a true leader.
Finally, please know you are not alone in your sorrow.  Beth Ashley was kind enough to keep me posted throughout Mark's brave fight and he (and each of you) have been on my mind and in my heart.  I share your deep sadness.  I know we are all lucky to have had someone in our lives so wonderful that makes it so difficult to lose him.
Katy Siebert

We are heartbroken for Christy and the girls as we learned of Mark's passing. We knew Mark to have a kind gentle spirit and a heart for God. That was always displayed throughout his life.  There were many prayers going up for Mark but God had a different plan for him. We know that Mark is pain free and in the presence of Jesus and for that we are grateful. We pray for God to comfort our families and esp Christy and the girls with His love and peace. We love you Dr. Mark Ford. Go rest high on that mountain.

It was my honor to call this great and wonderful man my cousin. I know that he will be missed by everyone who knew him.

Mark fought the good fight. So sorry for your loss. I loved working with Mark. He was loved by many and will be missed.

My deepest sympathy to Christy and the family. I have fond memories of Mark as a young man....kind spirit. Thankful for the hope of the resurrection.

Sending love to the Ford and Hallowell families - especially dear Olivia whose beautiful spirit made an impact on my life and in my classroom.   I am so sorry for your loss.    

I am not a great gardener. Living next door to Mark  and Christy was rough because they BOTH did outside work. Christy could get on the riding mower and do a great job and Mark always kept the landscaping looking great.  I had a large spot in the front yard where trees had been cut down. I had no clue what to do so I reached out to Mark. He said that mulch was probably the best option. Of course, he was right. Yard looked better, but not as good as the Ford's!   God bless you Christy, Olivia and Rachel.

My heart aches for the Ford family. Mark was very influential in my life as I ventured from the Pacific Northwest to go to school at MNU. My early adulthood was tumultuous (mostly by my own choosing) but Mark remained a steady and positive influence on me. He was such an encourager and one of the reasons I was able to graduate and move on with life. 

I strive to pass on to others what Mark did for me. God bless the Ford family in this time of loss. Be assured Mark was a difference maker and a kingdom builder.

I have known Mark since his sophomore year at MidAmerica.  In those days I had a fish aquarium in my office. One day, Mark waited until I went to class. During that time he went across the street and bought me something called a ghost shrimp and put in my tank as a surprise gift. When i came back to my office after class, all of my fish were gone. The ghost shrimp had eaten all of them. It wasn't a prank, just a kind gesture that that had an unusual ending. I watched his relationship with Christy grow and went to their wedding. i got to meet Emily. She had already gone to Heaven, but I got to sit with her for awhile. We would have bonded well. She was born with club feet and so was I. I remember when Rachel and Emily were born. He would bright them by the office from time to time.  I wrote three reference letters his three graduate degrees. It was like a monsoon the night of his Law School graduation. 

I was his boss for awhile and then he was my boss for awhile. He was a great professor. He was very innovative and helped several students decide to be lawyers. He moved on to administration. He was very gifted with handling details. He went on to become a Vice-President. It a fun thing for a professor watch his student do well and even rise to a higher position. 

One of my most comforting passages in the Bible is kind of an odd one. It's  Acts 7: 54-60. This passage describes the time when Stephen was martyred. As Stephen was dying, "he gazed into Heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Last Saturday, about 6:30 in the morning, Mark saw the glory of God and Jesus standing to welcome him home. He was great at all the things he did at MidAmerica. Most importantly, he was a great husband and dad. That is a life well-lived, just way too short. 


OBITUARY

Mark Clayton Ford

June 12, 1965 – February 11, 2023

McGilley & Frye Funeral Home & Cremation Service

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