04/21/2025
The Passing of Mark Thomas our SAE Brother (Fall 1978 Pledge Class) into the Chapter Eternal! Phi Alpha!
December 28, 1957 – April 15, 2025
It is with both sadness and peace that we share the passing of Mark, whose energy and spirit have now been returned to the universe. A life well-lived, celebrated, and impactful to all he encountered.
From Santa Rosa, Reno, Walnut Creek, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Aspen, Carbondale, Carlsbad, San Juan Capistrano — and everywhere in between — Mark left an indelible "mark" on the world.
TV reporter, hippy-dippy weatherman, snow reporter, stand-up comedian, auctioneer, blackjack dealer, son, brother, uncle, and always the "funniest guy in the room," Mark lived with joy, mischief, and heart. Wherever his journey took him, he made good trouble — and we know his spirit still does.
Remember the joy, the jokes, the laughs, the fearless spirit, and above all, the love. When you encounter something funny along your daily path, smile — and know that perhaps Mark had a hand in it.
Despite his battle, Mark remained a Warrior, touching the lives of every caregiver and friend who crossed his path.
We will share details soon for a Celebration of Life to be held in South Lake Tahoe this August.
> Posted by his brother, Kevin
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The following reflection was taped to his bathroom mirror — a daily companion throughout his courageous cancer journey over the past two years.
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During the experience of my death, in the moments leading to its occurrence, the presence of an indescribable radiance came near me.
From behind me and to the left, a shapeless light approached until it stood right in front of my face. As it drew closer, the emanations of light interacted with me, communicating through imagery, words, and feelings. The crescendo of the crash grew in unison with its approach until, at the moment of my death, it was directly before me.
I heard it outside of me, distinctly, and to the left—but it spoke in my own voice.
As it neared, the communication became coherent. In a multitude of formats, the light emanating from this presence conveyed truth directly to me—truth in its purest, most essential form.
The presence of this intelligent light-form was total exposure to an intense luminosity that illuminated every moment, every feeling, and every thought throughout my life. To be exposed and laid bare in such a way was, strangely, more comforting than anything I had ever experienced. It conveyed complete understanding.
Its vibe was a radiance of awareness across every iota of my life, with rays of light shining with absolute knowledge. My life was laid open before me—every memory, every feeling—and yet all I felt was understanding, genuinely absent of any judgment.
I wasn't looking at my life with regret, nor reflecting on it in any particular way; rather, I was shown, through my own life, why it’s okay to die.
The only major truth was: it’s okay.
Death comes for us all.
To meet it with acceptance is hard—and yet:
When you are dying, there is a terrible fear that rises from experiencing its imminence. In those moments, death feels so unconditionally certain that its embrace seems almost required, born from the realization of losing all hope of continuing life.
Yet in the total absence of hope, there is serenity in acceptance.
The last action of my life was to realize the truth of dying: to understand that it is all right to leave life.
The truth of death was revealed to me as it approached, and it was imperative that I realize this was my death.
I was told I needed to accept it. This truth felt beyond comparison, monumentally important—and yet utterly simple: the only truth of death, from life's perspective, is that "it’s okay to die."
It’s just okay.
That simple, almost mediocre affirmation was experienced as the most profound and extreme truth.
That it was just "okay," nothing more.
In the moment of acceptance, the radiance kissed my face, and my own voice, speaking from outside of me, said,
"Now let go."
I did.
I let go, without fear.
Facing the end of my life, I found death to be life’s ultimate self-acceptance.
