My Brother, 

Mark Allen

Born November 5, 1959, arrived in this world 2 years, 4 months and 24 days before me. I've known him my entire life.

We shared a lot in our biological relationship: the same parents, the same bedroom; I wore his hand-me-downs. We had many shared experiences: playing in our fort, going to theme parks, Astros games, and golf outings with Dad, even high school. Mark was a senior when I was a freshman and we even shared a class together, band, where we both played the trumpet.

I remember late nights listening to the King Bisquit Flower Hour on the radio or watching Saturday Night Special on TV. Oh, I regress, but isn't that the point.

Up until this point in our lives, we played together, fought together, loved each other and hated each other all at the same time.

When Mark graduated high school, he convinced our Dad to allow him to travel the summer of 1977 in his car around the country. The only stipulation Dad had was, that Mark take me with him so he wouldn't be alone. This was the first time Mark and I really got to know each other and one of the best summers of my life. We would stay at camp grounds along the way to seeing New Mexico, South Dakota, Nevada and Colorado. If it weren't for the fact that we ran out of money we might have made it to California. As much as Mark didn't want me to go with him, we bonded in ways our childhood could never have done.

The first time we lived apart, he moved into a rental to go to college. While in college he joined a fraternity. Mark would let me tag along when he and his fraternity brothers did things together. I was probably the only actual "little brother" that attended those frat parties. It was truly an experience.

As life would have it, we both grew our separate ways in pursuit of our careers. Time spent together was too little and far between. Most recently though as Mark, Susan and Jacob lived in Belleville, when I had business travel to St. Louis, I would come see Mark when i could get a chance. Although only a few hours at a time, Mark and I got to see each other a couple or more of times a year, for the past several years. It was never enough and made me wish we lived closer to each other. Trips to St. Louis will never be the same.

Mark was a history buff. He took pride in the fact that he shared his birthday with Guy Fawkes Day. Every year when I'd call him he would answer the phone "Happy Guy Fawkes Day".

Mark has been my oldest friend. The one person who I've shared more life experiences than I can count. Mark helped shape the person who I am: my musical tastes, sense of humor and movie genres were all influenced by him. We are in ways very much the same and very different.

Mark was a "people person" and he touched many lives. He will be missed more than I can imagine. My heart goes out to Susan, Jonathan, Lark, Jacob and his grandchildren Liam and Jason. God Bless my brother and I can't wait to see him at the end.

Your Brother...

When I think of Mark, key memories that jump immediately to mind (that I think will make many people smile are):

Sword fighting with Lon using icicles in New Mexico

Also New Mexico - battling for the last puzzle piece in our 1000 piece puzzle

Competition to clean shrimp tails at Kings Inn

Cowboys games on Sundays at grandmother's

Living with grandmother - and his rats!

His great voice. 

His love of family.

He will be missed. 

Mark was the first grandchild of Louise and W. O. McReynolds (Mac). From a very young age Mark attended church with his grandparents and sat with Mac near the piano, which his grandmother was playing. One of my early memories is the night Herb and I went to Sylvia and Delmer's home to help assemble Christmas gifts while Mark and Lon slept.

The Allen family and Haynes family spent many Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with their Henderson great-grandparents in Dallas, and the  McReynolds grandparents in Kingsville. After Mac and Louise were no longer with us, we continued sharing these holidays where ever and whenever possible: one at Lon's home in the Dallas area; at Sylvia's home in Austin, College Station, or Hewitt;  or at Carolyn's home in Waco. We also shared Independence Day fireworks sitting in Louise's driveway and several family reunions.

Mark was a happy, loving child who grew to be a sociable, loving man. We will miss him.

Aunt Carolyn