An obituary from Mark's mother, Sheryl

Written by Sheryl Stern, Mark’s mother

Mark Stern was born May 28, 1974 in Seattle, Washington. He passed away July 28, 2007 in Mountain View, California, family by his side. He was 33 years old.

The suddenness of his illness and untimely death has stunned his family and shocked the community. After two months of suffering and being treated for unresolved back pain, Mark was diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer. He died ten days later.

Mark grew up on Mercer Island with his parents Sheryl and Eddie Stern, and older sister Leslie. His family encouraged him to be whomever he wanted to be. His life was full of accomplishments, good deeds, hope and promise. He had wit, charm and a charismatic personality. He feared nothing, and had experiences most of us only dare to dream.

At the young age of ten, Mark found his self-assuredness on the stage. As a child actor he appeared in productions at Youth Theatre Northwest, Issaquah Village Theatre, Renton Civic Theatre and the Mukilteo Community Theatre. He became confident, competent, and proud.

Mark received his Jewish education at Herzl-Ner Tamid Synagogue on Mercer Island. His Bar-Mitzvah was a particular source of pride. Summers at camps Solomon Schechter and Ramah further strengthened his sense of Jewish identity.

In high school, Mark excelled scholastically and discovered many interests. He joined DECA and Junior Achievement, the student marketing and business organizations, where he developed his strong business and leadership skills. Sponsored by Puget Power, Mark was president of three JA companies, leading each to award-winning success. With his work in Junior Achievement, Mark received local, national and international recognition.

A 1996 graduate of the University of Washington, Mark obtained a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering. Mortar Board, the national college honor society, recognized him for his achievements in scholarship, leadership and community service. Mark was concerned with human welfare. He was a member of WashPIRG, the consumer and environmental advocacy group. He was a member of AIPAC, the American Israeli Affairs Committee. He was a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. He was a tutor and mentor to inner-city children.

While in college, Mark spent a year studying at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Just like everywhere else he had been, he made a name for himself in every arena that he visited: from coaching softball for local children to a role in a campus play about the Warsaw Ghetto; from editing his professor’s book on terrorism, to nearly sitting in on a meeting with Yassir Arafat and other members of the Palestinian Authority. Unfortunately for us the meeting never took place. There is no telling what Mark might have done to negotiate peace in the Middle East.

Living in Israel reconnected members of Mark’s family that had long been out of touch with the family living in the United States. He loved his year living there. He traveled extensively throughout the region carrying his stories and experiences in his backpack as he traveled from one country to another, one phase of life to the next.

After college, Mark was hired by Intel to work at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California. He was promoted from Rotational Engineer to Strategic Market Analyst to the Intel Think Tank. He worked in Intel’s offices in the United States, England, and Germany.
Mark met his wife, Maytal, in San Jose, CA while Israeli dancing at a Camp Swig’s young adult’s retreat weekend. They were married in Caesaria, Israel in October 2004 in an outdoor wedding on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. After a two month honeymoon in Europe, the couple returned to California. In September 2006, their daughter Zoe was born. She is Mark’s greatest legacy.

To Mark, life was a journey…From childhood to adulthood he lived from one experience to another…from one adventure to another. He rappelled off cliffs, river-rafted, hiked and skied. Mark loved challenges and mastered every endeavor. He was an engineer, entrepreneur, actor, artist, musician and fabulous dancer. He was a realist, idealist, romantic and humanitarian. He was serious and he was funny. He was strong and he was sensitive. With his warm smile he possessed the unique gift of drawing others to him and of bring people together. He was everyone’s best friend and loved by all who knew him.

Mark is survived by his immediate family: wife Maytal, daughter Zoe, parents Sheryl and Eddie Stern, sister Leslie (Paul) Kaplan and nephew Zachary, grandparents Ann and Harry Moises, grandmother Meta Stern, in-laws Efraim and Dalia Shek. He is also survived by uncles, aunts, cousins and numerous friends.