Mark Allen Maxwell

Mark Maxwell, husband, father, grandfather, friend and teacher extraordinaire left us on unexpectedly on August 10, 2023.

Mark was born at the Highland Hospital in Auburn on January 14, 1952 to William and Katherine Maxwell.

His father suddenly died when Mark was only 22 months old leaving is wife Katherine to raise their five children. Mark attended Bowman Elementary School, where he had many adventures with his Bowman friends. He transferred to EV Cain middle school and then to Placer High School where he played football and basketball.

Mark was an experiential learner and Ironically traditional education and the confines of the classroom were not for him, and he dropped out of high school after his Junior year and enlisted in the US Army where he completed his GED and served in Germany as a Tank Driver on the demilitarized zone.

His commanding officer saw his potential and encouraged him to pursue a career in the Army. Mark chose to return to Auburn and take classes at Sierra College and worked in the trades.

He became a Journeyman Roofer and once again put his education on hold. In 1975 he married his wife Gloria and settled into family life living on a small farm in north Auburn. In 1978 he decided to return to college and the family moved to Paradise. The following year they bought their first home in Chico and Mark earned his BS in Animal Science at CSUC.

Always putting his family first, he returned to roofing to provide for his growing family. Mark coached his daughters soccer teams both in Chico and Auburn. When the family moved back to Auburn in 1987 he began to volunteer in his wife’s first grade classroom at St. Joseph’s School on rainy days. He would bring in simple materials to teach a science lesson and the students would beg for him to come back.

It was a long and curvy road but Mark finally found his life’s calling and returned to college to get his Teaching Credential. Mark had the gift of making learning fun and instilling the love of learning in each and every student. His first teaching position was at Alta Vista the only school he applied to. He was a member of Auburn Union Teachers Association and served as President and Grievance chair for many years. Everyone wanted to be in Mr. Maxwell’s class. A parent once wrote a critique of Skyridge School and suggested the school should clone Mr. Maxwell. When he was not teaching he enjoyed being in the bosom of his family. He often traveled with his family and friends on many wonderful adventures.

Mark was a pirate at heart and believed that you should always question and search out the truth. He was a history buff and often quoted that “history is written by the victors so it’s important to look at both sides of a coin, to see cause and effect.”

He encouraged his students to ask questions and use critical thinking skills. He took many of his classes on Living History field trips including Sutters Fort, Malakoff Diggins, Age of Sail as well as a week long science camp in Fort Bragg where the students had hands-on science and nature experiences.

His love of travel and discovery included many camping trips across America visiting most of the battlefields for both the American Revolution and the Civil War, as well as a summer camping/working trip with his wife and young daughters to Alaska.

Mark visited many countries including; Mexico, Czech Republic, Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Tanzania, Kenya, Jamaica, Belize, Ireland, and many trips to Scotland to visit family there.

One of his favorite adventures was a photo safari with his grandson Jacob to Tanzania and Kenya when he first retired.

He will live on in the lives he touched.

He loved gardening, fishing, and playing gold with the Puttheads. He is survived by his wife Gloria of 48 years, his daughters Emily Coons, Katie Graham, and Erin Emerson, Son-in-laws Alistar Graham and Scott Emerson, his seven grandchildren who were the light of his life: Julia Coons, Jacob Coons, Eliza Kate Coons, Galilee Graham, Paisley Emerson, Amelie Emerson, and Maxwell Emerson. He is also survived by his brother Pat Maxwell, and sister Madeline Flaherty and Joy Adam’s as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins as well as his “brother by another mother,” Larry Alberts.

He was preceded in death by both his parents, his oldest brother William ‘Billy’ Maxwell and his son-in-law Jim Coons.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00 PM on Sunday, September 10th at: Auburn Veterans Memorial Building. 100 East Street Auburn, CA 95603 Lunch will be served immediately after.

Parking is available across the street at City Hall and Chapel of the Hills. Additional parking is available at Placer County Courthouse and the Farmers Market Parking lot.

In lieu of flowers, contributions for a memorial bench in Marks name can be made via Venmo @Erin-Emerson-11 or mailed to:155 Terrace StreetAuburn, CA 95603