Mark Nelson Memorial Fund

Established by: Gramma, Clarice Gibbs, to honor Mark’s life.

Established on: September 17, 2010

Purpose of the fund: To contribute to the causes Mark was passionate about: OC Foundation, the homeless in Seattle, building houses in Mexico.

Background: Mark Nelson passed from this life at age 24 while struggling with the pain of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). He left behind a legacy of his strong faith, love for others, and compassion for life.

• Mark loved to ride his bicycle. Summer jobs were in bike shops. He built his own bike.
• Mark was an Eagle Scout and backpacker. He loved the outdoors, God’s creation. Carrying his gear and traveling where only his feet could take him.
• Mark was an honor student. He worked hard. He loved being an Electrical Engineering Student at the University of Washington.
• Mark restored a 1967 Toyota LandCrusier FJ40 in High School. He shared the joy of 4-wheeling with friends in the Cascade Mountains.
• Mark was a fine artist. He never had any formal training, but he loved to draw. He would take a simple pencil and create a beautiful image that was both sensitive and deep.
• Mark loved rocks. He began giving them away in his last months. He asked friends to think of The Creator when they looked at the rock they had chosen.
• Mark was born humming. He played the piano, trombone and guitar. He loved to dance.
• Mark loved Jesus. He was very open about his faith, with a bold innocence. He served on mission trips in Mexico, Alaska, and with the homeless in Seattle. Praying and reading the Bible lifted his spirits, especially during rough times.
• Mark had his own quiet ministry of putting ‘Pass It On Cards’ in pockets of clothes in the mall, so that when a person bought a shirt they would find this scripture: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” John 3:16
• With the help of several doctors, Mark tried many different meds with little relief from his OCD. He worked on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy with some success. He said “Someday when I ‘beat this thing’ (OCD) I will help others”. But in the end it was too much for him to bear. In Mark’s memory, we have bicycled ‘Mark’s Ride’, for four years raising money for the OC Foundation. We also planted trees on the bike trail. We miss Mark. We will always cherish his memory.

We thank VCCF for helping us to continue the giving.