Mark M. Surles
Date Of Birth: 01/24/1952
Date of Death: 10/18/2021
Our beloved Mark passed on unexpectedly 10/18/21. He was 69.
Born in Milwaukee WI, son of Marian Nicholson & Lynn Surles, began competition springboard diving at an early age as his dad was a swimmer & diver. His grace & skill earned him top honors including the titles of All American & National Champion. He did get to meet his diving hero, Greg Louganis.
Mark earned a full athletic scholarship for his diving skill to Macalester College in Minnesota, where he chose a degree in Philosophy. He promptly learned it earned him the ability to deliver pizza & clean bars late at night. Rethinking his options, he then earned his Computer Science Degree at UC Santa Cruz & was a sought after High Tech Sales Rep & Manager for many fruitful years. He could have someone else deliver his pizza now thank you.
Mark was a life long kit drummer & performed with many bands, including his first band made up of his lifelong childhood friends “The Vibrations” & “The Laurel Wolfe Band” with his wife.
Mark believed in staying fit with daily gym workouts, yoga, & lots of hiking about in nature. Mark lived a happy life, married to the love of his life, Laurel, for almost 25 years with several Newfoundland dogs & cats as their chosen fur family.
He’s left behind his dear sister, Laurie Bendon & her husband Dr Michael Bendon; Cousins Bill Elliot, John Elliot, Louise Perez; Step Family members Jane Leudicke, Nancy Leudicke, Sue & husband Bill Wyvel, Alex Leudicke & husband Ron Whiteaker; Cousins Clyde Surles, Winfield Surles, & Richard “Day” Surles; Cousin Nancy Godachy; Niece Serena Hamilton & husband Brandon Whisler & their daughter, Mark’s grand niece Lydia.
Mark is dearly missed & the world has one less gentle & kind soul upon it. His memorial service will be held on a future date.
Donations can be made in lieu of flowers to the SPCA or Meals on Wheels as they both held a special place in his heart.
Mark was a joyful friend throughout our college years. Thank you for capturing his gentleness and kindness in this obit. RIP
Uncle Mark,
We miss you. You were, perhaps unknowingly, a beacon for me, and a father figure and loving adult when I needed one. Thank you for being in my life for the past decade, I wish we had more time. I wish Lydia would have gotten to know you, and most of all, I hope you are at peace now.
With love, your niece Serena, your fellow drummer geek Brandon and your grand niece Lydia, who talks about how much she loves her Barbie dream house from uncle Mark and auntie Laurel ALL THE TIME, and reads your custom goodnight book with your pictures more nights than not. You are in our hearts.
I’m so very sorry for your loss. As long as I knew Mark (K-12), he was just a good guy. Knew him as a diver and drummer through high school. Altho’ I hadn’t spoken to him in years, he sent me a message of condolences when my son died last year. Very sweet and thoughtful. May good memories help sustain you all. 💕
I spent time with Mark between 1968 and 1970…our final two years of high school. I was part of a group of about 10 kids that hung out at his house, mostly because he had finished basement that afforded us more privacy than we probably deserved. Some of my best memories of high school come the time spent hanging out in Mark’s basement. He had a hilarious sense of humor and a generous spirit. At an age when most kids have not figured out the advantages of sensitivity and empathy, Mark was sensitive and sweet by nature. I did not stay in touch with him after high school, yet I still have clear memories of his decency. May his memory be a blessing.
As another high school friend I remember Mark as both a kind as well as “old soul;” mature beyond his years. His band, The Vibrations, in which he played the drums, was the highlight of several assemblies and performances. One such show featured Candie Gauger as their lead singer performing The Beatles “Ticket To Ride” which was amazing. As many of my classmates, I thought the band was destined for great things. But Mark was always kind and compassionate to others. I remember him taking my disabled brother and myself swimming at WhiteFish Bay’s pool on several occasions. He leaves behind wonderful memories.
I knew Marc at Macalester and he was so much fun! I remember he and another friend and I went to see the the Exorcist and it was on Hennepin Ave… We were so blown away, we went to the first bar we could find open and after about 15 minutes realized all the women had really skimpy outfits and were all sitting on guys’ laps!- We suddenly realized we were in a pimp bar! Too funny!
I just learned of Mark’s passing in Macalester Today. We had not been in touch for 47 years. We were on the swim team together. He was good, I was not. We also played together in a band down at St. Olaf college in Northfield, MN. Once we got his drum kit and my ridiculously huge bass amp down there, we would often ride down to practices and gigs on his motorcycle with me hanging on for dear life. What a great guy! Don’t ever lose touch with those you love if you can help it.
Mark, you were a wonderful colleague and friend. I so enjoyed working with you and we served our customers well. I wish you peace. My deepest condolences to Laurel.
I worked with Mark for several years in the software business in Portland. He became a good friend. His sales skills were superb because he truly cared about each client and their success with our software. He knew how to ask the right question at the right time and was a great listener. He made friends with his clients. He laughed a lot and was really fun to work with. I learned a lot from Mark. His heart was in the right place all the time. He never put his own needs above that of his customer’s. That earned him tremendous loyalty. I will always remember his sense of humor, his deep caring and concern for others, and his love for his wife Laurel. Very sad he is gone. He lives on in my heart.
Laurie – I just now received the news of Mark’s passing. He was the great host of many basement parties at your home during high school, where I kissed a girl for the very first time. He was always nice to me, even though I was in a class behind him. He was just plain sweet. Please accept my very belated condolences.