Mr Mark A Catalano

Mark A. Catalano, age 55, passed away suddenly November 14, 2013 while at Walt Disney World in Florida. He was born February 21, 1958. Beloved husband of Jessica. Dear son of Anne (The Late Anthony) Catalano and son-in-law of Bill and Vickie Graves. Loving grandson of Marie Mauws and Bernice Warren. Brother of Martin (Ann) Catalano and the late Michael Catalano. Dear uncle of Matthew (Kara), Andrew, Cali, Lexi, and Jake, as well as several other children that were honored to call him uncle. Mark was a long time employee of Resurrection Funeral Home in Clinton Township. Visitation will take place Thursday 1-9:00 p.m. with a funeral service on Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes Rd. (S. of 18 Mi. Rd.), Clinton Township, MI 48038. Visit online at www.resurrectionfuneralhome.com.

Mr Mark A Catalano was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Mark was born on February 21, 1958 at St. Joseph Hospital in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. His parents were Anthony and Anne Catalano. Mark was raised in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Catalano household was very typical for their time. There were good times to be had, and sometimes challenges as well. However, Mark was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Mark was raised with two siblings. He had two younger brothers, Mike and Marty. Mark was constantly involved in activities with his brothers. Mark and his brothers may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Mark was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Mark was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Mark developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Mark took part in Football and as a young boy, he was a Cub Scout. In his spare time he was always saving pennies and he liked to kill flies at "The Lake", which is where he enjoyed spending entire summers playing and spending time with his family and friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Mark as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. His sense of humor and his laugh were infectious. He graduated from Lakeshore High School in 1976. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was History. While in High School he held a full time job and attended school every day, by doing this he was able to buy a brand new Olds Cutlass as a student. Mark was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Mark always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Mark was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Mark was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Mark to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Luke, Timmy, and Terry. Later in life, he became friends with Barry and Nancy Burnham, Brian and Michelle Matuszak, and his very best friend of all, Jessica.

On August 26, 2005 Mark exchanged wedding vows with Jessica Lynn Washnak at the Zuccaro's Banquet Facility in Chesterfield, Michigan. Compassionate and devoted to Jessica, Mark held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Jessica and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new wife happy.

Mark greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Mark enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Mark was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was as a funeral directors assistant, but really, he did everything. He was employed for nearly 20 years at Resurrection Funeral Home. Mark worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Mark liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Mark always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were traveling, reading, and researching everything and everything. He was always planning his next adventure. Mark was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Mark found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Mark played football. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, baseball, and auto racing.

Many organizations were grateful to have Mark as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Mark was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. In high school, Mark was a member of the Jaycee's and was involved with many community service projects.

Mark enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Mark appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Mark always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included Hawaii, Alaska, "Up North", and of course Walt Disney World in Florida.

Mark was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Mark’s favorites were Ellie Mae and Jethro his cats, and when he was younger his dog, Muffin.

Mr. Mark A Catalano passed away on November 14, 2013 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He enjoyed EVERY MINUTE of his life right until the very end when his heart failed suddenly and unexpectedly. He is survived by his beloved wife, Jessica; his loving mother, Anne; brother Marty (Ann); dear nephews Matt (Kara) and AJ as well as his soon to be great-nephew, Parker; grandmother, Marie; father and mother-in-law Bill and Vickie; sister-in-law, Kim (Steve), nieces and nephew, Cali, Lexi, and Jake; and grandmother, Bernice. Services will be held at Resurrection Funeral Home in Clinton Township, Michigan on Friday, November 22, 2013 at 11:00a.m.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Mr Mark A Catalano. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved, especially his beloved wife, Jessica.