Obituary of Mark Thomas McClenahan

Mark Thomas McClenahan of Berkeley, California and Colorado Springs, Colorado passed away peacefully on November 3, 2018 following a brief illness. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth "Betsy" McClenahan, four siblings, four children, seven grandchildren, and a vibrant community of friends, colleagues and customers. Mark Thomas was born October 23, 1946 in St. Paul, Minnesota to John Herbert and Virginia (nee Diedrich) McClenahan. Mark looked up to his older sibling, John Jr. "Jack" McClenahan (spouse Jane McClenahan), and was big brother to three sisters: Sister Linda McClenahan, Margaret Ann (Maggie) McClenahan and Jane Diane McClenahan. The McClenahan family lived in Newport, Minnesota; Park Forest, Illinois; and South Bend, Indiana before making a permanent home in Berkeley, California.Mark attended St. Mary's High School in Berkeley, California,�where he�lettered in�baseball and football and was a Yell�Leader. � After high school, he married and joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve where he served for four years. He completed his AA Degree at Merritt College in Oakland, majoring in Business Management and welcomed two children, Brandon and Molly. He divorced in 1986.Mark met his wife Betsy when he came to Colorado to referee hockey. They began a friendship as long-distance pen pals. Four years later, Mark relocated to Colorado Springs and joined families with Betsy and her two children, Louise and David. They would have celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary on Valentines Day. Shortly after moving to Colorado, Mark began working at Heuberger Motors. He was a charismatic anchor at Heuberger for 28 years, selling Subarus as a byproduct of relationship building with each individual customer. He was proud to have sold cars to multiple generations within a single family, and was often invited to landmark events in the lives of his customers. Mark's legacy lives within his children: Brandon McClenahan (spouse Jill McClenahan), Molly Wong (Chad Wong), Louise El Yaafouri (Hani Yaafouri), and David Kreuzer (Melissa Kreuzer). Of the many accumulated titles and awards he received in his lifetime, Mark's prized distinction was that of "Apa" to his seven grandchildren: Jeryn, Madleynn and Nicklas McClenahan, Laura and Rachel Wong, Davis Kreuzer, and Noor Yaafouri. His grandchildren filled Mark with purpose and determination. Each of his children and grandchildren were present in the final days and moments of his life, along with wife Betsy, siblings Jack and Linda, co-parent Bud Kreuzer, and supports from Heuberger.A quintessential picture of Mark would be him zipping down I-25 on the way to Heuberger, a California driver to the end. Polished shoes, impeccably tidy trousers, perfectly pressed shirt and color-coordinated sport sunglasses. He'd have his baseball cap on backwards, the sunroof open, and hands hip-hop gesturing as he matched the words to every Eminem song. Or, maybe a better picture of him would be in his puffy, fluorescent workout attire, sweatband in place, in the front row of the step aerobics class. (He may or may not have dragged daughter Molly along to one or more of these "buns of steel" events.)Perhaps Mark's best essence could be captured on the ice. Mark, in his referee stripes, was universally liked- except by the players and teams he made calls against (okay� so that was pretty much everybody). In his favorite games, son Brandon was the other referee in the rink. Double the McClenahan trouble. Some of us will best remember Mark on a family camping trip, as a soccer coach, spinning Betsy around the dance floor at Cowboys, carving the slopes at Breckenridge, or handing over the keys to our newest car. There were few areas where Mark did not excel, and even fewer areas in life where he could not identify some bit of joy, adventure or mischief. Mark left us with some important lessons:Learn how to really listen to others. Draw out stories and details. Make a point to remember and recall them, but never hold them over another's head. Always make your bed. Don't fall behind on laundry. Work hard and without complaint. Find your style and continue to reinvent yourself. When life gives you lemons, go buy new socks. Roll down the windows and sing like no one is watching. Life is short. Love hard.You are deeply loved, Mark Thomas McClenahanRest Peacefully