Mark Murdock

Mark was one of the kindest, most genuine people I’ve ever known. He always had such a positive, fun energy and was so easy to talk to. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Seven years ago, he welcomed me into his family with open arms from day one, and that’s just the kind of man he was. I lost my dad in 2018, and I always think the two of them would have been great friends. They’d have made each other laugh constantly and bonded over the Beatles and other classic music, and they had a similar sense of humour (they were both uniquely hilarious). I grew to love him over these seven years, because he was an easy guy to love. He was a wonderful grandpa to Evalina, and the holidays he loved so much won’t be the same without him. My heart aches for my wife Chelsea, my mother-in-law Maureen, Charlene and Bernie, and the rest of his family and friends. He loved you all so much and touched so many lives. Rest easy, Mark. I love and miss you.

I will remember Mark the Shark Murdock for the positive role he played in my childhood, the many great times after school and around the rink.
I am sending you, Maureen, Bernie, Charlene, and Chelsea, love while mourning the loss of Mark.

We are incredibly sorry for your loss. Mark was truly one of a kind, and his passion for life was always perfectly synced to an incredible soundtrack.
No one knew or loved music quite like him. Whether they were breaking down a rare B-side from a 1970s classic rock legend, explaining the production on an 80s arena anthem, or introducing someone to a definitive 90s alternative band, their encyclopedic knowledge and pure enthusiasm were infectious. He didn’t just listen to music; Mark lived it, shared it, and used it to bring people together. He always had an unknown fact or story about the band. The world feels a little quieter now, but I know that whenever a great rock anthem or rock song plays, I know we will all hear a little bit of his spirit in the chords. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends, but his legacy and his soundtrack lives on in all of us. Rock in peace, Mark.

My first thought when I think of Uncle Mark is the Beatles. On the wall the famous self portrait of John Lennon. Maybe I’m misremembering but I think he painted the copy himself – a brief step into visual art. I also remember on the wall a mounted and framed image of his family grocer’s flyer – a sign I took as showing family was important. I can think of how much pride he’d beam with talking about Chelsea, Charlene, and Bernie. I can think of all the family events hosted in a house that stands out as a character in some of my earliest memories of how I saw how my family connected and how I understood we were all related to each-other.

I know Uncle Mark was many things; more than what I can write here, more than I can think in this moment, and beyond that he was even more than that. To my Aunt Maureen, my cousins and their partners, his grandchild, and those that knew him. To his friends and those will learn to know him through the memories and stories of others. I am so sorry for this loss.

Sending love and strength to you all.