I was asked to post the tribute and Gina's poem here so people could read it. 

"On behalf of the family I would like to thank everyone for showing your support at this difficult time. 
Last Tuesday, when Betty asked me to voice our tribute to Mark I was honored, and scared.  I didn't want to mess this up but more importantly, I wanted to do it right. I apologize now if I can't get through this without showing emotion, but all of you, I am certain, will understand.
Mark was blessed by God to do wonderful things for his family.  He always gave from his heart without thought of himself or his sacrifice.  Rumor has it that he didn't talk till the age of 4, but in later years he would say I guess I didn't have anything to say.  Growing up in the 60's with my 5 siblings I now understand what our mother accomplished while dad was earning a living. You see we all went to dance school, we all learned an instrument and between scouting, school and sports, she was going all the time. 
That's where Mark came in.  He was the Mom and Dad when they weren't around. Whether we realized it at the time or not, his love for us and of music (playing his Rock and Roll in a band) spilled over to his younger siblings.  Gina loves poetry and lyrics, I've found my voice in church and beyond and Craig has written over 70 songs, because he kept sneaking in to listen to all of Mark's records and learning every lyric.  In fact, Mark was a surrogate to Craig when Mom was in and out of the hospital for the health afflictions in her life.

Mark has always had something for fishing, I guess a little like St. Peter.  I've been told that he caught a trout BY HAND, while the other boy scouts in his troop were pitching camp. I guess after that, fishing was a breeze.  He loved to spend hours with his son and his brother Mike fishing for Blues on Long Island Sound or at ponds and streams that were his secret places, while telling a whopper of a story every now and then. But we all know how fisherman can remember the one that got away.
Mark was blessed with a nose and a palate for good food and prepared many a dish that astounded his guests.  His antipasto was the closest to Mom's that I have ever tasted, (sorry guys) and his garlic bread, while strong to the uninitiated, was a taste of home.  You see, he loved to have a little bread with his garlic, not a little garlic on his bread, but that's the way we grew up.
He was blessed with a talent to unlock the code of computer software.  His talent made him a coveted Consultant that could not only understand the needs of his clients, but be able to customize his software to exceed their needs.  His reputation preceded him and made him a valued asset to his company.
But Mark was also very blessed.  God put Mark and his wife Betty on a path that would intertwine them forever.  You see, Mark lived 16 years longer than the doctors gave him, not only because of his stubbornness, but because of the love, care and devotion of Betty.  She was with Mark during a dark time in his life, but she never thought of giving up, but endured because of her love of Mark.  

I guess all the caring he showed in his young life was now coming back to him 10 fold.  But that didn't mean Mark would stop giving.  His stepchildren Christine and Rommel were given the gift of a role model that showed true courage, compassion and caring.  From learning to drive, to advice on financial independence, he blessed them with his knowledge and love, accepting them as his own.  
I think it was Christine's dog Sassy that melted his hard exterior enough to adopt his dog Rocky.  He was a mush when it came to his fur babies although he would never admit it.
Then my thoughts went to something a tour guide said while visiting Assisi Italy this past fall that makes me think Mark was born in his image.  He said St Francis is not the patron saint of animals; he is the patron saint of nature.  You see, Mark was one with the earth. He was a gardener extraordinaire.  He started his seedlings by hand in the depths of the cold spring in his basement. He nurtured and cared for his plants till the warm spring rain left the garden ready for tilling.  His love of God's bounty poured over all his family.  I think Grandpa Anthony Portanova would be proud of the quality of his harvest. He could spend hours tilling the soil and planting the vegetable garden that would provide the greatest bounty. 
(As an aside, while waiting at the front of the church, we happened to hear that it was St Anthony of Padua's feast day.  I checked my phone to see what he was the patron saint of and found out it was fishermen.  Funny how God comes to you if you let it happen.)
But he was never satisfied in what a seed gave him.  He even encouraged nature to be more. He had been known for growing some of the hottest peppers anyone tried.  In fact when a friend challenged him to say you can only grow hot peppers in California and Mexico, he said to try the pepper he handed him, but that the garden hose was over there if he needed to quench the fire, which he did.  You see, when he planted his peppers he put match heads in the soil.  The combination of sulfur and phosphorus created the perfect combination to create the heat of a habanero pepper, about 40 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper.  
He was also proud of the size of his fruit, always letting us know it was larger than the normal size because of the compost he used for his garden. I have to say the memory of the Spaghetti squash he gave us one year lives on to this day.
I have to share that Mark was not ready to give up his fight with this disease at his passing.  As sick as he was, and as in much pain as he was in, he still started his seedlings this spring as normal.  When he couldn't plant them because of his illness, Christine, family and friends planted his garden.  They were very patient to wait for him to wake before asking for further guidance on how to plant it the right way. It shows the love and respect that those around him would show in this labor of love when he couldn't do it himself.
Mark's personal display of the strength, and the resilience he had, despite his pain never let him give up hope that things would get better.  Despite all he went through, he could still joke that after losing all that weight he'd say, I never looked better.  He would say to Betty, Don't worry sweetheart, I will be here for a while longer Long enough to spend 7 wonderful years with his grandchild Jacob.
I would like to read a poem that Gina wrote for this occasion.
Dear Brother
Where are you going dear brother?
To the park 'cross the street to play?
You said quicksand was there, or was that a scare 
To keep younger siblings away?
With Whiffle bat guns and invisible foes
The battle raged til the dinner yell
A gift of creativity
And how to play life well.
Where is the music, dear brother ?
All the songs you used to play 
In the den in the little red house
With the band on a rainy day ?
Guitars and Drums and 45s 
The sounds of Rock and Roll,
Beatles, Drifters, and Rolling Stones
A gift of music to my soul.
Where is the garden, dear brother,
That you tended with such care ?
The feeding and the weeding 
And the bounty it would bear ?
In Spring the seedling rooted
And cared for til full grown.
A gift of how to tend a
family garden of my own.
Where are you going dear brother ?
To the park 'cross the street to play ?
Today I will not follow you
In time you'll show me the way.
The memories dear brother
Will keep while we're apart
But your gifts remain dear brother,
Forever in my heart

I would like to invite you to a luncheon immediately following this service."

To Mark's Family
Went to school with Mark at SCHS WAY back when. He was a gentle soul then and sounds like he never changed. Celebrate Mark's life over these days!!!!......my best to all of Mark's Family and to others he touched

My deepest sympathies to all of the family.

Dear Betty, my friend - to you and your whole family,  please know that you are in our thoughts and in our prayers.  I had the pleasure of meeting Mark and he was just a wonderful human being.  May he rest in peace.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May He show His face to you and have mercy on you.
May He look upon you with kindness and grant you His Peace.
                             6:24-26

Dear Alan & family,  I am so sorry for your loss.  Please know that I will keep you and your family in my prayers.  Stay strong.

Connie Jones

OBITUARIO

Mark A Portanova

2 agosto, 1952 – 28 mayo, 2015

Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home

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