Mark L. Carr, beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, brother-in-law and friend, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 72 on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
Growing up in a military family, he lived in New Jersey and the San Francisco Bay Area, where he attended local public schools. Mark graduated from Marina High School in San Leandro, Calif., excelling in football and track and field. Mark competed in the 100- and 220-meter sprints, the long and triple jump. Mark held the school record in the long jump, which stood for 20-plus years. After high school, Mark had a short stint playing college football before enlisting in the United States Air Force. Following basic training, he served in Mississippi, Thailand and California before his honorable discharge.
Mark met the love of his life, Faye, and within a couple of years, they married. This February would have been their 50th wedding anniversary. Mark fell in love with Idaho while spending his childhood summers visiting family and fishing the Lochsa and Selway rivers.
In 1977, the lure was great enough that they moved to Moscow to raise a family and attend the University of Idaho. After college, Mark started a career with the U.S. Postal Service. He enjoyed 20-plus years working in Moscow as a mail carrier and made many friends along his route.
Mark was kind and easy to talk with. Above all, he was a family man and was always known to be honest with the highest integrity, which he instilled in his children. He exposed his sons to a wide array of activities and sports, often coaching their youth teams.
Mark was a die-hard Vandal fan, attending every home football game he could. As an avid sports fan, it was a common occurrence at the Carr house to find Mark hollering and cheering at the TV for his favorite local sports team. Within his immediate family, his sense of humor and charm would often get compared to “Clark Griswold.” Other passions of his life were his golden retrievers, fishing and camping.
In 2003, Mark and Faye moved to Coeur d’Alene to be closer to their grandkids. Attending his grandchildren’s activities and sporting events were the highlight of his week. Mark retired from the post office after 30-plus years of service.
Mark was preceded in death by his immediate family members, parents Milton (Mitt) and Carley, and sister Susan (Carr) Baird. Mark is survived by his wife, Faye; his sister Jennifer (Philip) Kinney, of California, son Scott (Marae) Carr, of Coeur d’Alene; son Jeff (Lauren) Carr, of New Jersey; grandchildren Camryn, Kellen and Hunter; niece Helen Baird (Steven) Saporito; along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and longtime friends.
Mark will be missed, but will live on through the stories and memories of those who loved him. He did not want a funeral service and thus a celebration of his life will be held at a later date with immediate family. Please give a toast to Mark at your next Vandal game or the next time you go fishing and let him know you are thinking about him. In lieu of flowers, a charitable donation can be made to American Diabetes and/or Heart Association.
