Mark Michael McCaffery

Mark Michael McCaffery passed away on Friday, March 6. Beloved son of the late Manus McCaffery and Florence "Dolly" Mikol McCaffery, he is survived by his brothers James McCaffery of New Orleans, Louisiana, Edward McCaffery of Cleveland, Ohio, nieces, nephews, and countless friends. He was born in 1961 and was only 54, leaving us far too soon.

He graduated with honors from St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, and received a full scholarship to Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts from where he graduated with honors with a Bachelor's of Arts in Classical Studies in 1983. He went on to study classics at the University of Texas here in Austin.

Mark was a brilliant scholar who always rose above and beyond to serve others. He could learnedly discuss nearly any topic, from Greek poetry to German tank design, from medieval farming methods to Manichaeism. He could make any subject an interesting one, and delighted in learning throughout his life.

He joined Austin Community College as an administrative assistant for the Biology Dept. in Fall, 2001, and helped the college and department to flourish. He was always willing to do the jobs that needed to get done, and his efforts directly helped thousands of students to enroll and succeed in their courses. He served on numerous committees and often fixed problems before anyone else even noticed them.

But most importantly, Mark was a wonderful friend to those who knew him. He was always ready with a joke or a pun, but also wise counsel and a shoulder to cry on. He cared for those who felt unloved and outcast. He had deep compassion for those in the margins of society who felt like they didn't fit in. But he also had a flair for the absurd, and celebrated the weirdness in us all. He was one of a kind, and will be sorely missed by those who are left behind in a world a little bit darker than it was.

The funeral service to mourn Mark will be held on Sunday, April 12 at Weed-Corley-Fish on North Lamar at 3:00 pm. The wake to celebrate his life will be at the Zilker Clubhouse off Rollingwood Drive on Monday, April 13 at 5:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Austin Pets Alive.