Mark Andrew McKenzie Tribute

I am honoured an proud to call Mark my brother and I was priviledge enough for Mark to call me family and call me his sister. I met Mark when I lived around the corner from him on patterson. Funny but we met in a bar. Mark had bet some fellow friends that he could get me to go outside and smoke a cigarette:) with him. Turned out that he won the bet as I had went outside with him. I guess you could say that going outside for a smoke with Mark McKenzie changed my life. That was a long time ago. Mark would come over to my place and wake me up by throwing a baseball through my window at me that I was foolish enough to always leave on a table beside my open window lol. Mark invited me to his house to meet his wife and daughter. It was a blessing in the making because we all became very close and started spending holidays together as a familly which secretly meant the entire world to me to be finally for the first time in my life be accepted into a family that cared for me as much as I cared for them:) Soon after our friendship began we entered into a baseball tournament as the Redneck Runners in cornfest, if my memory serves me correctly we placed in that tournament. The following year we started a ball team in Delhi called the Midnight Smokers. Years had passed with us all playing together until Mark began to become to ill to play anymore and even though it crushed him inside not to be on the field playing with us he hardly ever missed a game. When his daughter gave birth to a beautiful son I was honoured with the opportunity of being his godmother, a blessing I will never forget. Mark was a great man and he taught me alot like how to be a better person. There isn't a day that passes that I don't think about him. Mark loved fishing, baseball, bike riding, nature, bingo, THE BIGGEST JEFF GORDON FAN EVER, there was not much that he didn't enjoy. But the biggest joy in his life came from his wife, daughter, grandson, family and friends. Even though Mark was in pain you would have never have known because he hid it behind his smile and jokes. Whenever I needed someone to talk to he was always there and when I was sad he could always cheer me up. Mark IS The World's Greatest Husband, Father, Papa, Brother, and FOREVER BEST FRIEND. No one could ever replace Mark in my life. I looked at him as my best friend, my brother and even at times my Dad. He is the only man I have ever looked at and thought of as a Dad. I never told him that and I really wish that I did. There isn't a day that has gone by that I have not thought about him. Mark if I had one chance to tell you how great you are and how much you mean to me I swear I could talk to you forever. I love you my brother and I miss you so much. I would sell my soul just to hear your voice and for a big man hug. You taught me so much. It is so hard to be strong without you here. I am so, so, so sorry I never got to say goodbye. You may be gone but I promise that I will never ever forget you. I love you brother until we meet again. Tania