Obituary of Mark Adam Lapides

Mark Adam Lapides went to heaven unexpectedly on Sunday, April 10, 2022, in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the age of 33.� He is survived by his wife, Maria Lapides; five-year-old daughter, Brianna Lapides; as well as mother, Ronni Lapides; and father, Jay Lapides.Mark was born on May 28, 1988, to a Philadelphia Eagles loving family in Elkin Park, Pennsylvania. His childhood consisted of philly cheesesteaks and Dave and Buster's. He loved sports, so much so that he once finished a hockey game with a broken wrist after sustaining the injury in the first period. At the age of thirteen Mark moved to sunny south Florida where he fell in love with the water and soon after fell in love with his beautiful wife, Maria, while both were still in high school. Weekend car shows, backyard parties, and lots of traveling filled their early years together. They quickly knew they were a perfect match when they realized they had the same initials, shared a love for all things food, and would never turn down an opportunity to do something spontaneous. On July 5, 2013, Mark and Maria were married on a golf course in Wellington, Florida. The date of their wedding was picked by Maria, because it would be easy for Mark to remember. They enjoyed their time in Florida spending their weekends on a boat catching fish Mark did not know how to cook and Maria refused to eat. They also relished being annual Disney passholders where they could feed their Dole Whip addiction to beat the Florida heat.�In 2015 they were blessed by an opportunity to move to Colorado. Landing in Fort Collins, Mark learned all about craft beer, training to climb the fourteener, Maria knew he'd never want to climb, and how important snow tires are. It was in Fort Collins that his Wells Fargo career really took off. It was not clear if his professional success can be attributed to the wiffle ball or volleyball matches he oversaw during morning huddles, the office chair races after hours, or his hard work and dedication to the company, but either way he successfully achieved his goal of becoming a District Manager for Wells Fargo.A few short months after landing in Colorado, Mark and Maria found out they were expecting a baby. With all good intentions, Mark wished for a son, but after interviewing three Brianna's in the same day at work, he fell in love with the name and the idea of being a protector, provider, and prince during dress up if they did end up having a daughter. On January 2, 2017, Mark and Maria welcomed 6 lb, 2 oz daughter, Brianna Lee Lapides into their family. Despite his joy of now having a precious daughter, those of you that know Mark, can only imagine how frustrated he was that this bundle of joy did not arrive by her due date on December 31, 2016 for tax purposes. Mark was an exemplary father figure who made all decisions focusing on what was best for Bri. He assembled endless amounts of toys and showed up to ballet recitals, soccer matches, and gymnastics events. He prided himself in being an active participant in everything Bri did, including making sure the length of every skirt, dress, and pair of shorts was long enough. Mark and Bri's favorite thing to do together was to play music so loudly that the windows shook and Maria's ears hurt. Today you can ask Bri who Chris Stapleton is and she can recite several of his songs word-for-word.�Mark was a guiding light to his parents. He continuously worked to ensure that they knew he was there for whatever they needed. He focused heavily on financial matters and would never miss a Sunday talking multiple times to his dad about football. When his mom, Ronni, moved to Colorado, he could not wait to show her how Colorado's winters might actually be more enjoyable than East Coast winters.Marked lived and breathed Wells Fargo life. The bank became a place where he could show his ability to not only build effective teams, but to also build up people. He became a leader who was methodical and deliberate in creating more leaders. His goal was to encourage everyone around him to do the right thing and focus on the team's success. He was always a phone call, text, or email away if anyone at work needed him. But more than a leader, he was a friend. He helped, coached, and offered guidance to employees of the bank across the country, and he was always willing to make sacrifices to make those around him feel loved.Mark's love for Maria was unconditional, even in the moments where her Latina personality took over. He never wavered from being her partner and making sure she had everything she needed. His loyalty ran deep and their relationship had a foundation that would never break. They dreamed of sharing their love story for their daughter to see that true love is real, even starting at age fifteen. He was her hype man, always pushing her to see things in a different light and guided her toward making big decisions.�On Mark's last day on this earth, he went to church to seek Jesus and ask for eternal life. The pastor delivered a sermon about how much the Lord rejoices when He finds one lost sheep that gave Mark such peace about his Creator and his afterlife, he turned to his friends and said, "That was for me." His absence will be felt so deeply by so many, but we can find comfort in knowing he is now in a place greater than we can even imagine, free from any sickness or pain.�Memorial Service, 3:00PM, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, World Prayer Center, 11005 Voyager Parkway, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921. Events Memorial Service Tuesday, April 19, 2022 3:00PM New Life World Prayer Center 11005 Voyager Parkway Colorado Springs, CO 80921 Phone: 719-328-1793