Mark Smith RIP

I'm not sure when I found Mark Smith, Mark E Smith but it was during the days I worked for the state of Utah as an information specialist in disability questions. It had to be as when I first started using the power chair and when I first ordered by first power chair it was a Pride Mobility Product. When things started going wrong with my chair I started doing online research and found a website by this guy named Mark E Smith and I was quite intrigued mainly because his name is basically my name. This Mark Smith actually had his own blog with lots of images. Essentially had his own job with lots of images what a sweet gig to rep a major power wheelchair company. That had to be in the late 1990s or the early 2000's. I spent a lot of time on the Internet just cruising around during the early 2000's.

This Mark Smith got around. I remember at one time during the Clinton era actually two times during the Clinton era I actually got Christmas cards from the White House signed by Bill Clinton. Obviously Bill didn't have the right address are the right Mark Smith. You know what? I actually thought it was for me just as when  Justin Dart, the great disability leader , visited Salt Lake and addressed a number of folks with disabilities. He mentioned a number of folks in the community of Salt Lake/Utah who are making changes for the good for people with disabilities. In that address he mentioned Mark Smith. I don't think it was me. I think he was referencing Mark E Smith not Mark L Smith. However in my own cynical way I actually thought he probably had advance people come into the community and find out who's who in in the zoo and make sure to drop those names in the address. It really had nothing to do with me I know it was about Mark E Smith.

I really wish I knew the whole story of Mr. Smith. He has a Masters degree and he really is a hotshot VP or something for mobility products quantum division. I follow this guy with envy over the last two decades. We had a couple houses one in the country with a giant front yard that he actually mowed himself with a riding lawn mower. This guy had pretty severe spastic cerebral palsy but he got around great. He had his own van but I doubt that he drove but he did get around taking in professional sports activities as well as his own companies work. He traveled coast-to-coast and even further. He must've made decent money to live the life that he did. He had a daughter but seemed to be the center of his life I was always impressed with how much they did together. He goofed around and she put up with his goofing around. He was her dad and she didn't care if he had disability are not,hell she probably didn't even know he was disabled, Mark was just always there.

I was shocked this morning when for no specific reason I googled Mark's name and found out that he died yesterday of cancer. Unbelievable. How unfair to have everything and have it all gone so quickly. Of course, that's the first thing I think of. I'm sure everybody else will note how good/great and happy and's brilliant and special this guy was. And he was all of those but most of all his name was Mark Smith and maybe that says it all.