Stories & memories
“This is the end, beautiful friend…this is the end, my only friend, the end…..of our elaborate plans, the end of everything that stands, the end, no safety or surprise, the end…..I’ll never look into your eyes….again”
~ The Doors
No doubt if you ever had the chance to meet Mark, it was most likely a memorable experience. If you were one of the ones lucky enough to really get to know Mark, you no doubt have some memories and stories.
If you would like to share a favorite story or memory click on the headline above, or the comments link below, and submit your story at the bottom of the page.
November 18th, 2006 at 3:51 am
I can remember the time mark took me to the dock to go fishing. I had’nt had that much fun fishing sence i was a kid! we both got pretty sunburnt. he also loved to hackysack, and was very good at it! he had a wonderful soul and taught me many things. he told me that its whats in my heart that made me special, that I was loveable no matter what mistakes I made. he taught me that I am able to love. mark had a very special soul. a kind you don’t see in too many people these days. funloving, very smart, sensitive. I know this because I saw him cry once watching tombstone, his favorite movie. he’d probably not want to share that but it’s true.mark was and will always have a special place in my heart. I feel him with me all the time. I am sorry he had to go, but god must need him more than we do. I’m sure its very important . I will see him again,when its my time to go. Im glad he got the chance to snowboard. he was so proud of the big wipeout. I thought he was crazy , but he got back out ther and mastered it. such energy! I will miss him always.
December 4th, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Mark Im sure you found your way into the lords arms. I miss you greatly and I know we havnt talked in a while. We both had to try and change our lives, but for that brief moment when we could get away with it didnt we LIVE! Like the message I left on your moms answering machine years ago said telling your mom that you were not an ordinary kid but a Super kid! (you were 17 or 18 then). That was when we were working at the garage and it was a rough saturday morning, I was half passed out in the bathroom stall to trying and sleep, hungry and all of the sudden the stall door opens and an arm reaches in holding a plate with a hot steak on it!!! That was GREAT!! Or pickin up the phone and hearing your voice say “you aint know closer to being a Duke boy than Boss hog is to turning down a Porckchop” That always made me laugh no matter what my mood. Or every time I walked into Elams bar after my girl left me how you would immediateley get up out of your seat and play “Tuesdays Gone” on the jukebox! I have a thousand great memories of you… people like you make life alot happier. Alot of people spend there lives trying to make themselves into an image society says they should be… you were your own creation and I dont know how your new life or new friends were but I do know the Mark Patterson I knew was a completeley original character… more than I could begin to describe …and will be remembered by many people and in many stories(That can never be told) of his adventures on Detroits East Side. I cant believe your gone. GOD BLESS YOU….Your Friend Brian.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Hey Mark , I was going through some Super 8 film footage, the lighting was terrible, but you and my brother were shooting pool…You still owe me a game!! I saw some pictures at your funeral of you shooting pool in someones basement….Im willing to bet that whoever you were playing NEVER got beat by a guy like you, I hoped ya rubbed it in like ya did here!!(HA,HA!) ….keep on practicing and have ‘um racked up we never did find out who was the best!!!…BB
December 6th, 2006 at 10:58 am
Hey Mark… THE STAR IS UP!!!
I won! : )
When Mark and I were kids we drove by St John’s Hospital multiple times a day. After Thanksgiving they light a blue star at the top of the hospital’s steeple. It was of course a race for bragging rights for the whole year for whoever saw the sat first to scream: “THE STAR IS UP!”.
So I guess I win but you will forever be the star and guardian angel to many all year long. I love you and miss you so much.
December 8th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Mark-
You were a bonus of my friendship with Erica. When I first met and became friends with Erica, I initially got to know you as her younger brother. Over the years, you were were always around, even when you’d grown up and were no longer seen so much the “little brother”, to punctuate many of my memories of your family and times I’d spent hanging out at your house with funny stories, comments or situations.
I’m sorry for those times in middle school when I used to come over to hang out with Erica and she would “torture us” by locking us in a room together and not let us out until we did what she asked of us, which was usually something gross or unpleasant.
And who could forget “Warf” and “Jean Luc”? Certainly not me, since before you enlightened me, I’d never even heard of them.
But the story that I remember most is the “Mole / Puss Foot” story. Back in the day, before I had a prominent beauty mark on my neck removed, you teasingly adopted the memorable nickname for me: Mole. Pathetically, the best thing I could come back at you with was to draw on a toe injury you had at the time and call you “Puss Foot”. I like to think that the “trauma” of that event led to the eventual removal of my mole, which I am now grateful for having had done…
I’m glad to have funny memories like that to look back upon fondly and I know as the years go on, others will pop into my memory to bring a smile to my face when I least expect it.
Love,
Mole
December 17th, 2006 at 12:06 am
I’ll never forget the time me and Patterson decided to go cow tipping in PORT HOPE. We were sitting around the bondfire and herd the cows moooing in the distance. It was about 3:30 in the morning and we desided to take the beers we hade left and take it to the cow fields. We got there and the cows were not sleeping. I decided to sit down on a rock and slam a beer thinking were not going to push over a non sleeping cow. Well Marko had a diffrent plan. As I slam my beer I look up to see mark on top of one of the cows yelling yee ha. I thought he was crazy at first, but then I realized, what the hell I’ve never rode a cow. I hopped on one and next thing I know were in a competition to see who could stay on a cow the longest. It was a trip. Mark won the contest of course. Crazy bastard! I always knew he had some DETEROIT cowboy in him.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:27 pm
Today we met at the Grosse Pointe Farms Pier to witness the African Tulip tree being planted. The tree was given for the memory of Mark by his neighbors. It was planted at the area of the park where Mark did his fishing. Many, many enjoyable hours were spent here by Mark.
While Erica, Roger, myself and some of the neighbors were there at the tree planting we saw one man fishing my himself catch a fish. It brought back so many memories.
I just want everyone to know what a great idea it was to have a tree planted in the spot where Mark loved to be. An idea by some of the greatest people anyone could know.
October 25th, 2007 at 11:23 am
I just found out today that Mark has passed on. Im sorry I did not know sooner. I just wanted to share 2 quick stories, both of which happened in 5th grade. My first story is about a report Mark and I did in Ms. Harris class on fishing. We went to the Farms Pier and caught several blue gil or perch or some small fish for the report. I believe the report was on catching fish, anyhow, Mark brought the fish to school in a 5 gallon pail! It was great to have the live fish flopping around in the class room.
The second was while our class was on the trip to Camp Store in Jackson Michigan. I remember Mark sitting down and eating 7 bowls of Cheerios in one sitting! Ha, he had a small crowed around him as he ate his breakfast. I will never forget his 7 bowls of Cheerios. Good memories.
June 5th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
Mark, you where like my big brother I never really had and I’ve been thinking about you alot and all I can remember is one of last time I saw you, you ask me if I wanted to go fishing with you and I said no I regret that everyday Mark I really do when I see you at the crossroads lets go fishing all right?
Alex