We, Mark's family, sadly announce his passing just hours ago at the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. We are sure you would be pleased to know that he was a fighter, making jokes with his eyes, and smiling right up until his last moments.
Michelle was fortunate to be at his side and everything indicates that he waited to take his final leave until she arrived to be at his bedside.
Funeral and other arrangements will be posted on this blog as soon as they are finalized.
Thank you for your love and interest in Mark. His obituary will also be posted here when ready.
With much love,
Parents and siblings of Mark
p.s. - We are sure Michelle would appreciate any feelings you would like to post on this blog about Mark.
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38 comments:
We are so sorry to hear about Mark's passing. Our hearts and thoughts are with you and your family. Mark was a wonderful man and we feel blessed to have known him. We hope and pray for the spirit to be with you during this time and in the future. Love,
The Hermansens
We are so sorry to hear about Mark's passing. He was a wonderful and dear friend and we will sorely miss him. Our thoughs and prayers go out to Michelle and the entire family. God is with you. All our love,
Ann and Roger Fasting
Las Vegas, NV
I am so sorry to hear about Mark. He was such a great example to all of us at Mountain Land. The last time I visited him in the hospital he was so upbeat and had such a great attitude. He will be missed. Pelase let me know if there's anything I can do to help.
Star* Brandt
Mountain Land
Dear Michelle, Uncle John, Aunt Kathy and all family:
We are so grateful we were able to see your valiant husband and son this past Sunday. We left feeling the spirit and praying and fasting for him and your families. We all send our love and knowledge that comfort and peace comes throught the gospel of Jesus Christ and the magnificent plan of happiness and pray it will be with you in great abundance. We can not immagine how difficult it must be and are thinking of you and the children. Love, Ben & Heather Payne ~ Gridley, CA
Bryce and I are so sorry to hear about Mark. We truly can't believe it.
He made a special effort to empathize with us when Caroline was born. When she had her baby blessing last year, Mark talked with us afterwards about how it reminded him of Maddie's blessing and how special his daughter is to him and what a poignant time that was. He was and will remain a strong example to us of charity and courage.
We'll be praying that comfort and peace can remain in your hearts. We love you all.
Bryce and Erika Loveland
Las Vegas, NV
Michelle,
We are so sorry to hear about Mark. Dave and I are both so grateful that we were able to know him. He always treated us so kindly, and made us feel like we were a part of your family. We are truly going to miss him. Give the girls hugs and kisses from us, and know that you are in our prayers. Love,
Marci & Dave Morgan
Michelle and family,
We are so incredibly sad and sorry for your loss. We didn't know Mark well, but we know he was a wonerful father and husband. Our hearts ache for you. Our prayers are with you.
Love,
Mark and Emily Nelson
Dear michelle, girls and Benson family,
I am truly sorry to hear about Mark's passing. i know your family only a little through Debbie and her parents but I love Debbie and i know that she comes from a special family, so I know Mark was a special person also. I hope that you will all be comforted at this time with the knowledge that our families are forever and that you will feel the love of our Heavenly Father and Savior. Stay strong together,
Belinda Beck
I am so sorry to hear of JMark's passing! I know that Squishy Balls put up a goog fight! I wish I could be there with you all to celebrate JMark's life. I feel like I have shared so much even though I am 3,000 miles away in Boston. Through everything with Christie Marie to this ....
My deepest love, blessings and support to you all. I wish there were more I could do ....
Semper Fidelis~
Micaila Britto
Dear Michelle and Family,
We are so saddened by Mark's passing. We love you and have been praying for your family many times a day for the past five months. We dropped to our knees upon hearing of his passing and offered a prayer for Michelle and the girls. Our little Emma (age 4), in our dinner prayer tonight, said: "Bless Mark that he will be happy in Heaven." We love you,
Dave and Amy Benson
Dear Michelle,Uncle John, and Aunt Kathy:
I remember my mom and dad and me visiting Mark recently and I could see that Uncle Mark wasn't feeling well.But I didn't hear him complain once about being in that hospital bed.I think he knew that if he did pass away, then Heavenly Father would have a special mission for him up there.He wasn't selfish at all and cherished all of his company there.My Mom and dad told me that whenever somebody dies, then they're still with you wherever you go.Mark is probably a gaurdian angel and is watching out for you.Whenever you feel lonely, or depressed, then you should just say a little prayer, and Uncle Mark and Heavenly Father will comfort you and smother you with love.Be strong and I will be strong too.
Love,
Brennah Payne
Scott and I truly loved Mark. I remember first being intimidated by him, and now looking back, that seems so silly because although big in stature, is so kind and so gentle. He will truly be missed. We will be praying for you, Michelle, and for all the family.
Our love and prayers go out to your family at this time. Mark and Michelle watched over our boys on numerous occasions and gave us strength when our own child was born with Down Syndrome. Mark will be truly missed.
Love,
The Hulberts
We marveled at Mark’s and Michelle’s courage and endurance to withstand the aggressive cancer treatment that their fight required. We were lucky to know Mark, and to work with him for a year. Mark was a master of negotiations and was the most growth oriented person I know. I believe Mark left a beautiful imprint on all who knew him. Our hope was to see Mark come through the BMT, and then be taken care of by his MLR family for a restoration of health, as he could achieve. In our hearts, we re-affirm our fight against cancer. Yet, the loss of such a noble and genuine man will forever trouble our hearts. Michelle, our hearts go out to you, we can scarcely know your loss.
Roger & Kalleen Campbell
St. George, UT.
On behalf of myself, my family and the Southern Nevada PGA, I would like to offer our deepest regrets for your loss. Mark was a true friend and an inspirational part of the Las Vegas golf community. He was very giving of his time with local juniors, amateurs and professionals.
I will miss him, but I am a much better person for having known him. He inspired and encouraged me.
Mark must be smiling to have permanent possession of the ten dollar bill that we passed back and forth on BYU-Oregon football accomplishments.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Michelle and the girls.
Mike Davis, P{resident Southern Nevada PGA
I'm sitting in front of my computer with a smile on my face for the many great memories of Sunday dinners with the Bensons or playing golf (when I should have been working) with Mark, yet I have tears streaming down my cheeks for the tremendous loss this is for all who know Mark--especially his sweet family.
Mark was such a great example to me of kindness, friendship and selflessness. When we lived in Southern Highlands, Mark and Michelle were the couple Sara and I hoped to emulate. Even through this unfathomable trial, Mark and Michelle pulled together and again were an inspiration to us all.
Mark and Michelle, we love you and we thank you for your great examples. You are in our hearts and prayers, and we will be there for you in any way we can.
Ben & Sara Jensen
I am only a friend of Suzanne's but I have followed this blog and am very sad for your families loss. Suzanne said that Mark loved 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing' Here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uslytyVrWFw It is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and it's very beautiful.
To the Beautiful Bensons:
I share the sentiments of all who have posted here before me-Mark was a wonderful man and fought with the grit and determination which he imparted in all he did in life. I too was brought to my knees by the news, but remembered to give thanks and glory to God for bringing Mark and all of the Bensons into my life. The celebration at his Benefit Dinner in May was illustrative of the great love and hope so many people had for him pulling through. Michelle, you have been grace personified and I hope that you find comfort in knowing how many of us were in awe of the tremendous love that he had for you and the girls. I look forward to celebrating this extraordinary life and seeing you all soon.
Peace and love be with you,
Christine
Michelle,
Aaron and I have cried and cried, over Mark's passing. As we sat on the living room floor and reiminisced about our days in LV, we laughed and laughed at all of the fond memories, we have of your family, of all the attempts at repairing or construction bloopers. Our babysitting swaps, and swapping child adventure stories as moms so we could feel better about the things they did to their siblings.
We have always admired how amazing your extended family is for the love and respect they have given you. How strong and wonderful, they have been there. You and Mark have been such and example to us of your generosity, love, courage, and strength. You have been such an important part of our lives in helping us grow. Our hearts go out to you. We have been praying for the blessing for comfort and peace to be with you and your girls. We know this is the time where "ministering of angels" are round about to bear you up. We love you, thank you so much for allowing us to be apart of this time in your life, for sharing Mark with us and being an incredible example of poise and grace.
Love, The Hutchison's
I am so sorry to hear of Mark's passing. I served with Suz in Denmark and feel like I knew Mark and all of her family through her. I know he has always been an inspiration and example to Suz. I have been following his sickness. My heart reaches out to you and your family at this time.
Heidi (Shipp)) Ogao
Michelle and Family,
We have been following Mark's fight for these many months, and you have all been constantly in our prayers. We feel such grief for your loss, and such joy for Mark to have been freed from his terrible burden.
We would hardly qualify to be high on Mark's radar, but for some very personal reasons, he is high on ours. You may recall that when our little Shepard was first diagnosed with brain cancer, Mark was the one who, as our home teacher, gave Shepard his first blessing. When Shepard passed away, I wrote a little memoir so we would remember the details of his short 3 1/2 years with us. I wrote the following about Mark:
Before we left for the hospital, our Home Teacher, Brother Mark Benson came to our home, and gave a remarkable blessing which was a source of comfort, and peace throughout the ordeal. Carole wrote the following in her journal: “He said that the diagnosis would be a comfort to his parents and that this problem would not prevent Shepard from serving a mission or being a father. We assume both of those things would be in this life.”
We did take great comfort in Mark's blessing, which we came to learn was not intended to be realized in this life. We have spoken of him and your whole family often since those difficult days, and as you began your own terribly difficult days, we felt that we could in some ways relate to the medical challenges you faced.
We prayed for Mark as I'm sure you prayed for us back then. At present, we are certain that after Mark was greeted by hundreds and perhaps thousands of his extended family members in the last two days, once the joyful reunions had taken place, that waiting quietly nearby, was a young man waiting for a moment to greet Mark, and express his appreciation for a beautiful blessing given years ago, knowing that the promises made therein will ultimately be fulfilled. We feel sure that Shepard has thanked Mark for what his faith and priesthood meant to our family.
Much Love,
David and Carole Gates and family
Michelle and family,
Our hearts go out to you. We have so many good memories of you when both of our families were new to Las Vegas. Mark was always so enthusiastic, and he loved his family. You are in our prayers; we think of you often.
Much love,
Greg and Mary Anne Walker
St. George
Michelle and Girls-
Our hearts and prayers go out to you at this difficult time.
We have so many wonderful memories of our time in Las Vegas with you and miss you all the time! We will always remember Mark for his enthusiasm for life and for the deep love he had for his family and children. Every time someone says "absolutely" we always laugh and think of Mark!!
We love you and our prayers are with you.
Love,
The Moore Family
Michelle, Girls, and all of our dear Benson Cousins,
My heart broke when I heard the news of Mark's passing. I had planned to visit him that night in the hospital.
I just wanted you all to know what a special person I believe Mark is. I know we all prayed for a very different miracle...but I think the true miracle is that we had such an amazing and inspirational person in our lives for as long as we did.
When I was a little girl I had a huge "cousin crush" on Mark. I've always felt that he was this incredibly amazing person..the kind that is truly rare. I feel so lucky and blessed to have had him in my life.
There will be many tears shed over his passing and we will all miss him a great deal. But there is peace in knowing that he fought a good fight, finished his race, and that we will all see him again.
Our thoughts and prayers are continually with you all.
Love,
Margo, Ray and Kids
Dear Michelle and family,
I did not know Mark personally, but I served with Suzanne in Denmark. As I have followed the blog I have been reminded of the closeness of your family that Suzanne often talked of. I know her big brother was a big part of her gigantic heart, and what made her such a vibrant and wonderful missionary. Our family's prayers are with you.
Jake and Emily Huckaby
Michelle,
We are sad to hear about Mark. He will be greatly missed. He was a wonderful teacher. I was amazed at his abilities when you brought him to Young Woman's to speak to the girls. He had a great speaking ability and insight. We pray that the spirit will bring the you peace you will need during this difficult time.
Love,
Jeremy and Addie Stone
Michelle,
When Jill called and told me of Mark passing, my heart broke for you, I have thought about you countless times during the last few days. Although I didn't know Mark well, I feel as if I've known him through my friendship with Jill and John. I know he must have been an amazing man to capture your heart. I have enjoyed reading this blog and discovering what an incredible person/father he was, and what a loving family he has. You are blessed to come from such a fabulous family and then marry into such a loving one. I know there is no way I can comprehend what you are going through, but please know you are in my heart and prayers.
Esther Hansen
It seems like just yesterday that Mark and I were laughing and playing golf. Mark was such an example to me. Our prayers are with you and your girls, Michelle. Mark was truly a great man, and we are so grateful to have been able to be a part of his life. Please let us know if there is anything we can do, and may our Heavenly Father watch over you and give you the comfort you need at this time.
With Love,
Cole and Kristi Boren
Michelle and Family
Our hearts and prayers go out to your family at this time. We are sad to hear of Mark's passing. Mark was an amazing man, always happy and willing to help others. We will cherish the memories we have of Mark while we lived in Las Vegas. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
Love,
Kevin and Tana Knight
We are so very sad to hear of Marks passing. We only knew him for a short time. He was working with my son Kenny as his golf trainer. Our lives were blessed by knowing him. The world is a better place because of Marks influence. We feel such a void right now.We will miss him very much. How blessed we are to KNOW that families are FOREVER.
Kevin & Kenny Duford Kingman,AZ.
We send our deepest condolences to Michelle and the kids. We were able to attend the funeral today and even have a greater appreciation for the type of man Mark was. He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers will be with his family.
Dear Benson Family:
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. We have only had brief opportunities to get to know one another and I will always be grateful for such a privilege. May God bless you and your sweet family . . .
Jen Flinders
I was so shocked to hear of Mark's passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you Michelle, and your entire family.
God bless.
Warren
Dear Michelle,
Dave and I are so deeply sorry to hear of Mark's passing. I'm so gratiful for having the opportunity of knowing Mark and calling him my friend. His passion for you, the girls, life, golf, and all of us weekend warriors was truly inspiring. I'll always treasure my last work-out - training session, with you and Mark, as we did laps at LDS Hospital.
You and the girls are in our thoughts and prayers. We hope you find comfort in your memories. Mark's infectious smile and laughter will live in our hearts forever.
Love
Laurel Barry and Dave Pursiano
Dear Benson Family,
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I went to Carden Elementary School with Mark. He was Hansel and I was the Witch...I was Heidi and he was Peter. :) We met up again at BYU and spent a lot of crazy college days together with a group of great friends. A few of us made the trip up to Preston for his farewell and had a great time meeting your wonderful family. I lost touch with him when I married and moved to Virginia. Today my dear friend Teresa Gertsen Vincent and I were reminiscing about the "Good Old Days" as she prepares to send her oldest off to BYU. We determined to track Mark down and find out how life was treating him. That is how we found this "loving blog." Needless to say we were mopping our eyes, laughing and crying as we felt so touched by this good man's life and our shared part in it. Mark was "one of a kind" enough so that those who knew him for any part of his life will always remember him. I especially have memories of a sincere young man with a great sense of humor, a strong, brave spirit and a handsome smile. Please accept our deepest condolences and know that upon coming across this sad news I couldn't help but picture Mark up in heaven chuckling that he was able to pull a fast one on his old buddies and beat us all to the "Heavenly Punch." My prayers are with all of Mark's loved ones. May the comforting spirit of our Heavenly Father continue to uphold you in your loss and may you know that your Mark was loved and respected by those who new him "Way Back When" .... and still remember him with great fondness.
love,
Shauna Atwood Broderick
I'd like to say "amen" to the last commenter, Shauna Broderick, and her memories of Mark. I was also one of his friends during our freshman year at BYU, and I have so many fond memories of Mark, including going to his farewell in Preston, as Shauna mentioned. He was so much fun to be around, and he had a depth of spirit and character that I admired. Thank you to those who posted this blog, and I pray for you Michelle, and your daughters, that the Lord will shower tender mercies on you. I look forward to seeing Mark again, and only wish we had kept in touch better while he was here.
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