Over these many years, I have heard similar stories about Mark. I went to Horace Mann with him and, of course, Beverly. He was always kind to me. I never experience anything other than that. Our lives have turned out differently than we expected. RIP, Mark, I will remember you as someone I liked in my younger years.
Lon, Thank you for that very moving story. I had no idea you had been through all that with him. I was Mark's girlfriend our senior year in high school. I found the gentle giant behind that very tough exterior. The football team had great comaraderie and my best friend Jyl Debin (class of 70) and I had a great senior year with these guys. Mark and I moved together after high school to an apt in Santa Monica . His demons surfaced in our relationship and we went to therapy for many months. His dad had been involved in the development of Marina Del Rey and I loved his mom Marilyn (Felicia) . His brother Brad, who I have kept in touch with, has a beautiful family and a very succesful career in real estate. After Mark and I went apart in 71, I moved to Marin County in Northern Ca. One day, he showed up at my house saying that God meant for us to be together and it was a very terrifying event which I won't go into detail about . It was obvious there were very severe mental health issues exacerbated by heavy drug use. I was afraid of any contact with Mark from that point forward. Brad contacted me when Mark was sick and he passed away in March. He had an extremely difficult life, dealing with mental health issues, homelessness, but the place where he lived in his later years Lon spoke of, provided so much safety, treatment and support for him, and his father had been involved in donating to it for many years. I believe his mom is 91 now and he had a phenomenal brother in Brad. It's very sad for me, because I knew and loved that gentle soul behind that very tough exterior. I'm relieved for him and the family that he is now at peace and not struggling any longer. but I have to say , he had a family that stood by him all those years and never stopped loving him and never gave up on him. My experience with Mark and our time in therapy influenced my choice of careers as an LMFT for 35 years.
Brad- I am so sorry to hear about Mark's passing. Thank you for the memory video in advance. Going to 55th.
Brad- If and when you get this post, please email me.
Mark was one of my best friends at Horace Mann and in high school for and as football collegues. We shared a lot of teenage experiences and life stories together. I saw him once after high school and spoke several times under very difficult circumstances. Mark- please rest in peace forever. Hugs coming when I get there but not yet.
Lon, your story about Mark Wiseman reads like a novel. It's an incredible distillation of a rivalry morphing into frenemies resulting in a bizarre, profound bond - that I'd hesitate to call a friendship. Bravo! You've been a spectacular REAL friend to so many people - Mark didn't deserve to be yours. Poor, crazy, unlucky, troubled guy. I knew who he was, but never knew him. Lucky me.
I knew Mark from football at Beverly. He was an extreme competitor and a good football player. I think his drug issues started with steroids in high school. He was hyper focused on building his body and muscles. I last saw him on a bus going down Olympic (I was going to Loyola Law school). He was in bad shape and I talked with him for some time. I hoped our interaction was helpful to him. Rest in peace Mark.
Lon and Gaye....thank you both for your memories of Mark. Freshman year I had English class with Mark. One day the first week of school, people were wandering around waiting for the bell to ring. The teacher was talking to Phil Savenick and sharing a laugh. Out of nowhere, Mark walked over and without a word, punched Phil flush on his forehead. It was shocking. There was no provocation. Clearly he had mental health issues even then. Many years later my ex-wife had a problem with prescription drugs and after some research I found B'eit Shuva. It was the perfect place for her. She was nurtured by many people and after a few years they gave her a job at their thrift shop and eventually she ws able to get her own apartment. She told me an old friend from Beverly said hello. Mark Wiseman. I'm sorry I didn't ago visit him. Hearing how awful the rest of his life was is very sad. May his family find comfort in his memory.
The sad and sorry saga of Mark's dramatic life punctuated by violence, substance abuse and prison is riveting. I want to balance this with an act of kindness from our beloved classmate Alan Duke. My house burned to the ground in the 1993 Malibu fires, I lost absolutely everything. About a month later, I moved into an empty apartment above a garage in Westwood. With the help of the Red Cross, I was able to buy a bed, sheets and towels. I got a call from Alan offering me a piece if furniture. He stopped by and dropped off a piano bench he built when we built it in shop class taught by nine-fingered Mr, Thompson at El Rodeo. It was a gift of enourmous sentimental value. When my life was rebuilt to the point that my wife Carol and I bought my first home in 20O2, I returned it to its rightful owner when we moved in. Thanks Alan for all the kindnesses you and your family extended to me since Little League. I am deeply grateful.
As I was reading Lon's beginning comments, I was wondering what the purpose of airing "dirty laundry" was. By the end, I was in tears. It was so very moving. Thank you, Lon.
I knew Mark when I went to Horace Mann, although I remember little of my time there, including whether we ever spoke to each other. I do remember he was a very cute boy back then.
I, too, had thought Mark had died in prison. I was relieved to read that this was not true, but saddened by the life he led.
It is always interesting to read about my fellow Class of '69 students, whether they are happy, sad, or neutral in nature. I can't wait to see whoever is at our reunion this afternoon.
Wow! I had no idea what a challenging and troubled life Mark had and how he affected fellow classmates. Thank you, Lon, for sharing your incredibly touching story. As I said on the Reunion Zoom yesterday, my main memory of Mark is from 6th grade at Horace Mann. He was a character and he had a giant Pink Pearl eraser - the biggest I have ever seen! He once showed me the back of this eraser, which had the names of his 12 ex-girlfriends (already in 6th grade!!!). I concluded that I should not get too close to him. I really didn't see him at Beverly, as I was focused on music and theater, which wasn't his thing. RIP Mark.
I knew Mark only slightly at Horace Mann and in high school. But around 1977, I encountered him aboard a bus on Wilshire and he recognized me immediately. He told me he had recently been released from prison and regretted that he had hung out with the wrong crowd during his school days. I also heard a few sad stories about him over the years. But I am glad to hear he apparently was taken good care of during his final years.
Lynn Mayer (Smith)
Over these many years, I have heard similar stories about Mark. I went to Horace Mann with him and, of course, Beverly. He was always kind to me. I never experience anything other than that. Our lives have turned out differently than we expected. RIP, Mark, I will remember you as someone I liked in my younger years.
Gaye (Peggy) Freeman (Gabriel)
Lon, Thank you for that very moving story. I had no idea you had been through all that with him. I was Mark's girlfriend our senior year in high school. I found the gentle giant behind that very tough exterior. The football team had great comaraderie and my best friend Jyl Debin (class of 70) and I had a great senior year with these guys. Mark and I moved together after high school to an apt in Santa Monica . His demons surfaced in our relationship and we went to therapy for many months. His dad had been involved in the development of Marina Del Rey and I loved his mom Marilyn (Felicia) . His brother Brad, who I have kept in touch with, has a beautiful family and a very succesful career in real estate. After Mark and I went apart in 71, I moved to Marin County in Northern Ca. One day, he showed up at my house saying that God meant for us to be together and it was a very terrifying event which I won't go into detail about . It was obvious there were very severe mental health issues exacerbated by heavy drug use. I was afraid of any contact with Mark from that point forward. Brad contacted me when Mark was sick and he passed away in March. He had an extremely difficult life, dealing with mental health issues, homelessness, but the place where he lived in his later years Lon spoke of, provided so much safety, treatment and support for him, and his father had been involved in donating to it for many years. I believe his mom is 91 now and he had a phenomenal brother in Brad. It's very sad for me, because I knew and loved that gentle soul behind that very tough exterior. I'm relieved for him and the family that he is now at peace and not struggling any longer. but I have to say , he had a family that stood by him all those years and never stopped loving him and never gave up on him. My experience with Mark and our time in therapy influenced my choice of careers as an LMFT for 35 years.
Lindsay Wellman
Brad- I am so sorry to hear about Mark's passing. Thank you for the memory video in advance. Going to 55th.
Brad- If and when you get this post, please email me.
Mark was one of my best friends at Horace Mann and in high school for and as football collegues. We shared a lot of teenage experiences and life stories together. I saw him once after high school and spoke several times under very difficult circumstances. Mark- please rest in peace forever. Hugs coming when I get there but not yet.
Lisa Susman (Medway)
Lon, your story about Mark Wiseman reads like a novel. It's an incredible distillation of a rivalry morphing into frenemies resulting in a bizarre, profound bond - that I'd hesitate to call a friendship. Bravo! You've been a spectacular REAL friend to so many people - Mark didn't deserve to be yours. Poor, crazy, unlucky, troubled guy. I knew who he was, but never knew him. Lucky me.
Steven Wasserman
I knew Mark from football at Beverly. He was an extreme competitor and a good football player. I think his drug issues started with steroids in high school. He was hyper focused on building his body and muscles. I last saw him on a bus going down Olympic (I was going to Loyola Law school). He was in bad shape and I talked with him for some time. I hoped our interaction was helpful to him. Rest in peace Mark.
Howard Murray
Lon and Gaye....thank you both for your memories of Mark. Freshman year I had English class with Mark. One day the first week of school, people were wandering around waiting for the bell to ring. The teacher was talking to Phil Savenick and sharing a laugh. Out of nowhere, Mark walked over and without a word, punched Phil flush on his forehead. It was shocking. There was no provocation. Clearly he had mental health issues even then. Many years later my ex-wife had a problem with prescription drugs and after some research I found B'eit Shuva. It was the perfect place for her. She was nurtured by many people and after a few years they gave her a job at their thrift shop and eventually she ws able to get her own apartment. She told me an old friend from Beverly said hello. Mark Wiseman. I'm sorry I didn't ago visit him. Hearing how awful the rest of his life was is very sad. May his family find comfort in his memory.
Laurence Cohen (Finley)
The sad and sorry saga of Mark's dramatic life punctuated by violence, substance abuse and prison is riveting. I want to balance this with an act of kindness from our beloved classmate Alan Duke. My house burned to the ground in the 1993 Malibu fires, I lost absolutely everything. About a month later, I moved into an empty apartment above a garage in Westwood. With the help of the Red Cross, I was able to buy a bed, sheets and towels. I got a call from Alan offering me a piece if furniture. He stopped by and dropped off a piano bench he built when we built it in shop class taught by nine-fingered Mr, Thompson at El Rodeo. It was a gift of enourmous sentimental value. When my life was rebuilt to the point that my wife Carol and I bought my first home in 20O2, I returned it to its rightful owner when we moved in. Thanks Alan for all the kindnesses you and your family extended to me since Little League. I am deeply grateful.
Marnee Phillips (Foldoe)
As I was reading Lon's beginning comments, I was wondering what the purpose of airing "dirty laundry" was. By the end, I was in tears. It was so very moving. Thank you, Lon.
I knew Mark when I went to Horace Mann, although I remember little of my time there, including whether we ever spoke to each other. I do remember he was a very cute boy back then.
I, too, had thought Mark had died in prison. I was relieved to read that this was not true, but saddened by the life he led.
It is always interesting to read about my fellow Class of '69 students, whether they are happy, sad, or neutral in nature. I can't wait to see whoever is at our reunion this afternoon.
Tovya Wager (Wager)
Wow! I had no idea what a challenging and troubled life Mark had and how he affected fellow classmates. Thank you, Lon, for sharing your incredibly touching story. As I said on the Reunion Zoom yesterday, my main memory of Mark is from 6th grade at Horace Mann. He was a character and he had a giant Pink Pearl eraser - the biggest I have ever seen! He once showed me the back of this eraser, which had the names of his 12 ex-girlfriends (already in 6th grade!!!). I concluded that I should not get too close to him. I really didn't see him at Beverly, as I was focused on music and theater, which wasn't his thing. RIP Mark.
Marc Russell
I knew Mark only slightly at Horace Mann and in high school. But around 1977, I encountered him aboard a bus on Wilshire and he recognized me immediately. He told me he had recently been released from prison and regretted that he had hung out with the wrong crowd during his school days. I also heard a few sad stories about him over the years. But I am glad to hear he apparently was taken good care of during his final years.