Mark Lee Alben Fick passed away on July 20, 2023, at his home in Smith River, California. He was 65.

Mark was born on May 28, 1958 in Mount Vernon, Washington. Like his sister Morgan and his brother Matt, he grew up in the family’s home in the Penn Cove Park neighborhood on Whidbey Island, at a time when it seemed like every house in the neighborhood had a family with kids who were more or less the same age. As a middle-schooler he developed an interest in motorcycles, starting with a Honda 50 minibike but expanding to ever-bigger bikes, ultimately resulting in a love for all things with an internal-combustion engine and an aptitude for working on them.

After attending Oak Harbor schools Mark moved to Bellingham and then later to the Bay Area and northern California, working at a variety of jobs, mostly in construction. Above all else, though, Mark loved being on the water. He grew up spending a ton of time on the beaches at Penn Cove and Deception Pass State Park, and in his young adult years he crewed and even captained ocean-going sailboats. His favorite song was Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate Looks at Forty”, which begins with the words “Mother, mother ocean, I have heard your call, wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall.” For the last 20 years or so he lived in a house on the banks of the Smith River in northern California and spent countless hours happily rafting down that river.

Mark’s father, Lawrence P. Fick, passed away when Mark was ten years old. He was also preceded in death by his beloved sister Morgan Williams and his equally-beloved half-sister Maggie LaRue. He is survived by his devoted wife Shelley Fick and her daughters that he regarded as his own, Monica Gensaw and Laurie Curven; his mother Jeannine Smith and his stepfather of 50 years, Charles R. Smith; his brother Matt Fick and his sister-in-law Jan Fick; his brothers-in-law Andre LaRue and Greg Williams; and his nephews and nieces Morgan LaRue, Erin Kinch, Jon Williams, Maggie Fick, and Charlie Fick, and their families.

Mark was fun and kind and loving, and his family will miss him dearly. In keeping with his wishes, there will not be a memorial service, but his family and friends will get together to spread his ashes on the beaches at Penn Cove.