Mark left his body, age 63 years, on Dec. 7, 2022 at 3:30 pm as planned. After 3 years enduring ALS he was grateful for the option of medical assistance. Mark was very clear about the timing and was, in his own words, “looking forward to his next big adventure.”
Mark will be deeply missed by his long-time love & soulmate Chris Emery. He was her rock. Together they had many amazing backpacking trips and other travels, but it’s some of the ‘ordinary’ times like dog walks and watching rom-coms on Netflix that Chris will miss the most. Also remembering him with love are his mom Edna Elliot, dad Terry (Julie), mother-in-law Roberta, brother-in-law Mike, sister-in-law Jennie (Matthew), extended family Elizabeth (Spencer), Lawrence (Dwayne), Tracie (Greg), and best friend Rob (Danita).
Mark had an engineer’s mind which was put to good use in his 38 years at Accurpress/Halkin Tool. When he retired in 2018 as lead of the engineering department he left a legacy of systems that will be used for a long time to come. Mostly, though, Mark left a mark on the people he worked with. He considered the people at Halkin Tool to be family, saw everyone as having equal value, and was always approachable and happy to share his knowledge.
Anything Mark did he did with a view to excellence and precision, whether it was using his mind in sudoku, crosswords, or crib, or his body in skiing, hiking, or even just cutting the lawn and raking leaves.
Mark was kind and generous, always willing to help a stranger lost at a bus stop, or chase down a lost loose dog. He loved his own animals deeply and could be seen over much of Tsawwassen walking the dog, most recently Izzy. Greeting him ecstatically at the Rainbow Bridge are Sunny, MacKenzie, Tashi, Porter, Mitz the cat, and numerous other extended family pets.
A private cremation was held. As he wanted, Mark’s ashes will be spread at 3000 metres elevation on a fine hiking day next summer.
Mark’s advice: “Treat people how you like to be treated.” To honour Mark, take your dog for a walk, or donate to your favourite animal charity…then raise a pint of IPA (Red Racer preferred!).
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mark Terence Connolly December 7th 2022 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
Death notice for the town of: Aldergrove, Province: Colombie britanique