Mark Robert Maillie was born on April 5, 1964 to Robert Maillie and Jessie Desadier in Roseburg, Oregon. His family later moved to Eureka, where Mark would grow up and meet the love of his life, Shirley. They were married on September 28, 1985.

Mark and Shirley would go on to welcome three children, Max, Rex, and Lindsey. Anyone who knew Mark knew that cancer was present in his life from 2006 on. During this first diagnosis of large B cell Lymphoma, he was told that the survival rate was low. He underwent treatment despite this statistic. In late 2006 the oncologist said he would do one more treatment so he would get one more Christmas with his family. Little did everyone know this treatment was a miracle and put him in remission. From then on he lived with a new sense of gratefulness.

Although cancer is a part of his story, it’s not his whole story. Mark had worked at Pacific Clears 19 years before getting cancer. It was a job he was always fond of. After he got the clearance to work again he got a job at the McKinleyville Services District doing maintenance around town. He loved his job and the ability to be outside doing something different everyday.

When sickness inhibited his ability to work a normal job, he focused on his hobbies. He was an avid fisherman. You could often find him climbing the rocks at the North Jetty to fish, or crabbing in the bay with Shirley. He also enjoyed woodworking. He was known for his redwood planter boxes that he would sell locally. He would even make a birdhouse from time to time, but usually only upon special request. He loved spending hours in his backyard crafting different boxes.

If you really knew Mark you would know that his other love was music, specifically heavy metal. He spent hours finding new bands to support online, even going to see a few of them in concert when they came to the states. He was definitely a real metal head. In his later years he also began collecting antique bottles. Mark and Shirley loved spending a weekend at a bottle show or scouring antique shops for bottles. They were happily welcomed into a wonderful group of northern California bottle collectors. Their collection is proudly displayed in their home.

Our family would like to make a special thank you to his entire team at UCSF medical center, especially Doctor Gansler. They provided many years of support and kindness when the hospital became a second home. Doctor Gansler was much like a second mother to Mark and he trusted her with his whole heart. It’s not often you are blessed to have the same team of people surrounding you for almost 20 years. Our biggest hope is that the research they were able to do on his case would help to save someone else in the future. Our family would also like to thank Dr. Cobb and his team. They have been like family to us and we don’t know where we would be without him. A special thanks also needs to be given to Providence in Home Healthcare. The team there provided Mark with such wonderful care to make him comfortable at home.Especially Sophia, Terrance, and Gina who went the extra mile every time Mark needed anything.

Mark is survived by his mother Jessie Desadier, brother Rodney Summers, wife Shirley, his children Max (Catrina), Rex, and Lindsey (Grady) and his grandsons Jaxson and Tristan; and his mother and father-in-law Judy and John Wolff. He is preceded in death by his father Robert Maillie, his brother-in-law John W. Wolff, his grandmother Percilla Madison, and many aunts and uncles.

Services for Mark will be held August 26 at 12 p.m. at Azalea Hall in McKinleyville.

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