In Memory

Mark Pyne



 
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09/07/18 11:57 AM #1    

Robert Appeldorn

When I read about Mark's passing I suddenly remembered a moment when we were probably 9 or 10. At the time I was living on Wildwood ave. in Piedmont and I was standing on the sidewalk in front of my house and in an instant someone zipped past me on a Flexy Flyer. The Flexy Flyer was a wheeled version of a snow sled and were eventually banned as a safety hazard but that didn't keep Mark from pushing the Flyer to it's limits. He was able to maintain control of the wheeled sled as he drove by me and hit a slope and rounded the corner further down the sidewalk skidding all the time. That's one of many memories I had of Mark.


09/09/18 04:37 PM #2    

Robert "Kent" Thies

Like many PHS Alum reading the In Memory names, when I read Mark's name I was flooded with recollections.  Mark and I were good friends during the pre and post driver's license ages.  I recall his sense of humor, good nature, and creative mind.  Mark was also a good looking kid.  I think Mark was adopted (only child) and his parents were "older" and very kind...his Dad would regularly BBQ a big steak on Friday evenings and serve us on TV trays.  One story; Mark's Mom had a 1956 Chevy Nomad (cream and orange color combo) that Mark put mag wheels and we "hot-rodded" around...Mark had an uncanny (and scary for the passenger...me!) ability to drive at speed extremely close to telephone poles and other stationary objects...I still close my eyes thinking about those near misses...Mark never hit anything.  Other stories are best left out of print.  But, I have often wondered what happened to Mark.  The last I saw of him...we both attended Menlo College as freshmen...was Mark, with now very long black hair, riding a Harley chopper off into the world....never to be seen by me again.  This may have been after the big lottery draft...but I am not sure.  May Mark rest in peace.

 


09/11/18 02:17 PM #3    

Richard Fong

Rob and Kent thanks for sharing your Mark memories. It triggered my memories of walking to his house on King after school  to play pool. I think Mark's dad ("Dr. Pyne") was a dentist and his mom was just a real nice lady.

The first order of business was always to crank up the volumne on the radio (fairly certain it was KFRC) and Mark would entertain us by playing air guitar with his cue stick while soundly beating all of us at pool. After playing pool one hot afternoon we adjourned to the backyard where a small pristine plot of lawn was being watered. On reflection it may have been a putting green because the grass was mowed very short and it was perfectly manicured. A water fight quickly ensued and we managed to cover the small lawn with a film of water. The water fight degenerated into a wrestling match and we gouged out several large divots. They proved very handy for the mud clod fight following the wrestling match. Finally exhausted from the "fight" and laughter we collapsed on the former lawn and had the big "Uh Oh" moment. The lawn looked like a runaway roto tiller went through it. 

 

Being smarter than the average bunny, I knew it was the perfect time to go home because Mark's mom wasn't home yet. The next day Mark was his usual outgoing and congenial self. Not a word was said about the destruction even when I had the courage to finally go back to the house a month later when his parents were both home.

 

I am thankful for the opportunity to have known Mark and his folks, they were good people

 

Richard ("Ric") Fong


09/12/18 03:06 PM #4    

John Olszowka

I too was envious of Mark's Chevy Nomad......(I thought it was Red and White), I even rode in it once and I felt like a BMOC (big man on campus) since I ran in different circles....in 1968 we had a broken down silver 1957 2 door Chevy Belair that sat in our open 3 car garage at 1671 Grand Ave.

My fantasy was to have the Chey running and challenge Mark to a race on Warren Freeway (Rt 13) from Montclair to the Mormon Temple.

Frankly, I was shocked of how many of our classmates have passed away.........I thought we were all like Peter Pan, never to grow up..........or we'd all live to 100 and a day (a day to get ready).....

on another note, after attending a funeral in ConcordI I slipped into Piedmont Saturday Sept 1, 2018 and marveled at my old neighborhood....I left in 1972 to Hawaii and never looked back.

Now? No Social Media, my e-mail got hacked and I only have a flip phone.......snail mail to P.O. Box 14, Laie HI 9676 works...

So I circle back around to Mark and say he was very kind to me since I was a social nerd.

See you all on Sept 29.......I look more and more like Woody Allen everyday.


09/12/18 04:42 PM #5    

Geri Giles (Willinger)

   I'm so sad to learn of Mark's passing.  He was my first "date"  Actually, Janice Harris, Geordie Bassett, Mark and I all went together to see From Russia With Love.  We sat in the very first row in the Piedmont theatre and barely watched the movie.  We had a lot of fun joking around and, I'm sure, bothering every one in the theatre.  At one point one of said very loudly "Kiss you!  I don't even know you!"  Of course, that was probably the one moment in the movie when it was completely silent!  We all ducked down as far as possible in our seats and were really quiet.  I can't believe they didn't kick us out!  Of course, we went to Fenton's afterward for ice cream, where we were equally rambunctious.  After that Mark and I went another three times to see the same movie.  So young... we never as much as held hands. :(( .   So sad that Janice is gone now too.


09/13/18 01:05 PM #6    

Barbee Rubenstein

These comments are wonderful to read and reflect on the "old days."

It would be nice to get more and we can read them at the reunion.

Especially nice to hear from those that can't make it and with permission we can share your thoughts  the evening of the reunion.

If you have responded "No" and your plans have changed, it's NOT too late come!!  Just let me know!!

 

 


09/17/18 11:34 PM #7    

George (Geordie) Bassett

Mark was a great friend.  When I was 10-12 years old, I used to sneak out of my house late at night and go to Mark's to watch "Creature Features" and smoke his dad's cigars after his folks went to bed.  We might have also had a little sip of something with our cigars.  I'd always sneak through his bathroom window which was on the side of the house where his mom walked their poodle, Lizette to do her "business"  Don't know why I didn't use the front door like normal folks would do... but I suppose it added to the intrigue by climbing through a window.  One night we heard his dad stirring so we smothered our cigars and Mark jumped into bed.  I hid in his closet.  His dad came into his room and said, "What's that smell, Mark?".  Busted.  I'd apparently stepped in some of Lizette's "business" before coming through the window.  His dad found my footprint on the toilet seat I'd stepped on coming in.  The jig was up for us.  In hindsight, his folks must have known something was going on as the house was fresh smelling as they went to bed, only to wake up to a house that smelled like there'd been an all night poker game.  Fun days.  Miss you, buddy.


09/28/18 05:47 PM #8    

Claire Johnson (Garets)

Mark and I were friends. I wish I could tell him that we both have sons named Dustin. Not a common name so it's interesting that we both chose it. Mark's mom had a big greenhouse in the backyard where she raised orchids. I wish I had paid attention to what she told me about orchids! At the time it didn't seem important. Mark was a great guy. I am sorry none of us can connect with him again.


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