Mark Ries

Born in Pennsylvania to Alan and Betty Ries on August 7th 1951. Raised in Cleveland OH with twin sister Jill and older brother Jim. He graduated high school in 1969 and went on to continue his education at Aims College in Greeley CO until 1973. The illness and death of Mark’s mother in addition to a fellowship program at Union Carbide compelled Mark to move back to Cleveland.

Soon after returning to Cleveland he sparked up a romance with a one of his childhood friend’s younger sister; Tomarra Moon. Mark & Tomarra were married the spring of 1977, they’re first born child Jessica Ries came soon after in the winter of 1978. After completing the program at Union Carbide Mark decided to move his family back to the state he fell in love with during his college years and relocated the three of them to Broomfield CO in 1979. The Ries family then started the new decade with the birth of their son Rodrick Ries in 1980.

Mark continued his career in Colorado working at Tosco, Ball Aerospace and then Rocky Flats. In 1995 Mark and Tomarra’s marriage sadly ended in divorce.

In 1999 as Rocky Flats was being decommissioned Mark retired do to his medical conditions, which gave him more time to spend with family and friends, indulged in hobbies like trap shooting, wood working and model airplane building.

In closing Mark Ries was a loving father and a proud American.