Mark G. Swena

Mark G. Swena was smart, quick witted, funny and if you knew him, you knew one hell of a man. Equipped with a clear and calculating focus, he possessed a tough-minded, “take charge” attitude. Mark was not afraid to lock horns with anyone, though with those he loved it was easy for him to back down in little time. He had the ability to make even routine situations seem exciting, and he was at ease with the role of playing problem solver.

Mark was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada by Marv and Kaye Swena. This was back in 1968 when Vegas was still growing into a city. He was a tough and energetic child who never shied away from a challenge. His mother fondly tells a story of how he “ganged up” on a group of 8 kids at the trailer park and taught them a lesson about trying to pick on Mark.

He grew up with two brothers, Billy and Lloyd.

As a young child, Mark took part in football and baseball. He was a Boy Scout. In his spare time he liked hunting, playing basketball with jimmy and engaging in "childhood Tom Foolery". His love of sports carried over into his adulthood, making Mark the best person to talk sports with. If you knew him, you knew his passion was in sports. Sports meant so much to Mark that memories of watching and talking about sports became some of his son, and Son-in-laws, and friends most cherished memories. His knowledge of sports was something beyond anyone. He could tell you a play before it would even start just by the way a team would line up on a football field, or where a point guard was moving on the basketball court. He coached a football team of underdogs to beat the top team in the state. He raised his children to be Dallas Cowboy fans. If they grew to like another team he would give them a hard time, but he reluctantly accepted it with love and a joke ready. He loved being challenged, it would light a fire in him that would put him at the edge of his seat, with a glimmer of pride in his eyes and a smile on his face, because Mark knew he was always right.

Family vacations were experiences that Mark truly enjoyed. He preferred to seek out excitement wherever he went and he was partial to vacations that were casual and laid back. He was willing to leave his plans open and flexible, just in case something more interesting came along. Marks favorite vacations included trips to California, Atlanta, Utah and the Bahamas. Mark often took his children to California during the summer for fun at the beach forever making it a staple vacation spot for them with memories they will never forget. Mark would run with his kids from ride to ride to make sure they were able to experience it all. He also made sure vacations to Utah were made often so his children could get to know the family there, because he knew family was number one.

Known to others as a focused, logical, open-minded and somewhat driven individual, Mark was able to utilize these qualities to succeed in high school. He graduated with warrior pride from Wester High school in 1986. Mark worked as a grocery clerk, Warehouse manager ,credit card collection, a Laborer with the Local 872 working out to the Test site. Mark decided he wanted to go back to school and become a teacher. Now anyone that grew up with Mark would have said, "What?" You see Mark was a little bit of a "rowdy" student all through school. Mark was really questioned about this choice, which Mark’s reply was a resounding, “Yes!” He started off going to CSN to get his Associates Degree, then got accepted to UNLV where he received his Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education. The amazing thing was when he had started UNLV, he found out he was severely dislexic, which did not slow him down. He found ways around it, by having his wife, Rose, read his textbooks to him and he would dictate his papers to her, as she typed. Mark accepted a teaching job after graduating UNLV to his Alma Mater, Western High School. He was so excited to teach there. He was so effective and included coaching football and softball as well during his time there. He didn't stop there, he continued to receive his Masters degree in Curriculum from the University of Phoenix. Mark has been teaching history and psychology at Foothill for almost 10 years. He was good with facts and had an excellent memory.

Friends, acquaintances and students found Mark an easy man to get to know. Mark was uncomplicated and straightforward in his relationships, which allowed him to accept people for what they were. During his lifetime Mark made several good friends, some of his best friends were Jimmy Atkinson, Bryan Sweeney, Mike Calabrese, Travis Cole, Bob Murray and Ted McGuire. The rare kind that grow with you and stay present in your life. The kind that his children consider an Uncle and Mark could rely on to be there for him.

On September 14, 1985 Mark exchanged wedding vows with Rose at the The Swena-House of Las Vegas, Nevada. Mark was attentive to Rose's feelings, and he charmed Rose and others with his gift for being able to give freely and generously. A good listener with an engaging personality, Mark was able to bring pleasure and unexpected humor to the relationship. He loved to tease Rose just to get a reaction and a smile from her and their children. He would often surprise Rose with “just because” flowers so she knew just how much he loved her always. Mark’s love for Rose was undeniable and in the eyes of many their relationship was an example, especially their children, of what true love looked like. Many referred to Mark and Rose as true soul mates. He would often, even just in passing from room to room, let her know “I love you, B.”

Very much like a kid himself, Mark identified with the inquisitive and creative side of his children’s personalities. Mark was blessed with four kids, Laura, Michelle, Kerrie and Seth. They were also blessed with five grandsons, Timothy, Zachary, Hayden, Wesley, James and one heavenly granddaughter, Haley. Mark did anything he could to get a smile out of his children and grandchildren. He would often call them over to him and once within his reach would scoop them into his arms for a big hug that would burst into tickle time. Mark would also use his playful humor for smiles from across the room by saying their name to grab their attention just so he could stick his tongue out at them and get a good laugh out of them knowing it would surely turn into more shenanigans. Mark wanted his children happy more than anything else. “A rabbit and a bear are shitting in the woods. The bear looks at the rabbit and asks, “Do you have a problem with shit sticking to your fur?” The rabbit says, “No.” SO the bear wipes his ass with the rabbit.” This anecdote was a favorite of Mark’s during stressful times. He would use it to ease the hearts and minds of his children. Providing Comfort with a sense of humor was a skill he demonstrated throughout his life. He always tried his best to provide a safe, loving home while he was raising his children. He treasured his time with them. When they were hurting he would take them in his arms and say “tell grandpa, he will make it better.” He generally would, especially if this meant telling their mommy a thing or two. Likewise, whether it was someone being mean to his kids on the playground, a fight with a friend, or even a breakup, he'd provide a comforting hug and say, "it's okay, dad will take care of it." Mark showed his daughters how men should treat them and was very protective. No one was ever good enough for his girls; until one day they were (after surviving the scrutiny of Mark). A sense of humor was one of his most wonderful qualities. Mark was an amazing teacher who could make any lesson fun, he truly captured students' attention through his jokes, wits, and sarcasm. Mark’s words of wisdom have been shared with masses of high school students, as he was a teacher. Those who knew him best would be able to recite his little gems. For example, “always have a lie ready” or “never buy ‘I’m sorry’ flowers.” Mark called his students “his kids” and he meant it, he treated them as family. He always kept his door open to his students to come in freely if they needed support in anything. On more than one occasion he would open his home to his students as well for family holidays if they had nowhere to go.

Mark loved telling stories. Whether they were about his childhood, about funny things that happened at school, or stories about his family. His eyes lit up, he'd get animated, and even if you heard the story 100 times before, you couldn’t help but get drawn in and listen as though it were the first time you ever heard it. As much as Mark had stories about everyone else, I'm sure everyone here has at least one story about him.

He is survived by His mother Kaye and brother Billy; his wife Rose; his four children Laura, Michelle, Kerrie and Seth his five grandsons Timothy, Zachary, Hayden, Wesley and James. Mark is also survived by many friends. Services were held at Carl Street Chapel. Mark was laid to rest in Heber City, Cemetery. He was a loving son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend, coach and teacher. His love and personality were larger than life and we are going to all miss him. He was taken from us too soon. It is shocking to think that Mark is gone. He was such a strong, stubborn man. There were several times he would jokingly say he was invincible. Then recount being ran over, shot at, and other perilous tales of survival. He's truly irreplaceable.