Mark E. Dickinson's Obituary
Mark Erick Dickinson died peacefully on September 1, 2015 in Palo Alto, California at the age of 43 following complications from heart surgery.Mark is survived by his mother, Rosalyn Fernandez of Tracy, CA, his grandmother, Leona Haskins, and his step-sisters, Debbie Fernandez, Peggy Andrews, and Cheryl Bower. He is preceded in death by his father, Fayette “Dick” Dickinson and his step-father, Steve Fernandez.Mark was born on September 23, 1971 in Hayward, California to Rosalyn Fernandez and Dick Dickinson. He graduated from American High School in 1990 and Las Positas College with a degree in Accounting.Mark was born with tetralogy of fallot, a congenital heart defect. He was one of the first people in the world to survive open heart surgery for this medical problem. He went on to have six more surgeries over the course of his life, including this final operation. He contributed immensely to medicine’s understanding of how to manage this illness. Throughout his life, he taught all who came into contact with him about grace in the face of illness.Mark was an accomplished reader and lover of history. He was incredibly knowledgeable with regard to the World Wars. He loved planes, especially military planes and airshows and was an active member of the EAA Warbirds of America. He was a generous individual who loved to spend time with our country’s veterans. He also loved race cars and traveled frequently with his father to watch the races. He was dedicated to his family and friends, with whom he spent countless hours listening, talking and caring.A funeral is scheduled for noon, Friday, September 4, 2015 at Hope Evangelical Church at 3800 Beard Road in Fremont, CA with a reception to follow. Reverend John Berg will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Mark’s life. Condolences can be sent to Hope Evangelical Church at the address above. The family would like to thank Dr. Allison Meadows and the doctors, nurses and caregivers at UCSF, Stanford Medical Center, Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital and Kaiser Permanente for their care and dedication.
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