Dr. Mark Eric Bleck

Mark was born in Buffalo, New York on May 9, 1951, to Max E. Bleck and Gloria Robinson Bleck.

From an early age, Mark was interested in reading, science fiction, athletics, machines, science, the space program and airplanes. He even helped his father design and construct an experimental biplane in their Wichita home garage which they enjoyed flying together.

He attended Southwest High School in Wichita Kansas from 1965-1969 where he excelled in all advanced placement classes and played on the tennis, basketball and volleyball teams. Mark attended California Institute of Technology from 1969-1973 earning a BS Degree in Nuclear Physics. At Cal Tech, he also lettered in basketball.

He then proceeded to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina to complete a PhD in Nuclear Physics in 1978. On the Duke tennis courts, he met his future wife, Donna Denny, a Duke University nursing student They married on August 21, 1976, and were married for 49 years. In 1978, they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where Mark began his career with Sandia National Laboratories. Mark was Senior Technical Advisor at Sandia and then became the Department Manager. He had the highest security clearance in the Federal Government. As if a PhD in Nuclear Physics was not enough, Mark went back to school at the University of New Mexico to seek a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. After retiring from Sandia, duty called again to work as Senior Technical Advisor for SAIC/Leidos Corporation from 2012-2020 providing technical advice in the area of nuclear weapon surety to the Nuclear Security Administration Headquarters and to the Albuquerque complex personnel.

Mark received a Department of Defense Medal and Award from Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense (1990) in Washington D.C. for "Outstanding Contribution to the Defense of this Country" in a special ceremony. Other awards include "Outstanding Contribution" as scientific advisor from the Department of Defense's National Nuclear Security Administration Defense Programs and ''Certificate of Appreciation" from the U.S. Nuclear Command and Control System Support Staff.

As Mark's career grew, so did his family. He and Donna had a son Brian Mark Bleck born in 1981 and 2 1/2 years later, welcomed home their daughter, Lara Ruth in 1984. They raised their family in Albuquerque and then shared residences in both Albuquerque, New Mexico and Vero Beach, Florida. Recently, they purchased a home in "The Grove" in College Grove, Tennessee so they could split their time between living near their daughter, Lara Ruth Parr (husband James) and their beloved grandchildren, Kody Parr, age 6 and Owen Mark Parr, age 3 in Orlando, and their son, Brian Bleck and his wife, Zhanna Bleck in Tennessee. Mark enjoyed retirement in beautiful Orchid Island golfing, playing croquet, boating, exercising, dancing with Donna, and writing, including publishing a book he wrote "Diving In". Mark was a hard worker who lived with integrity. Colleagues described him as being the utmost professional, while also being caring and personally impactful to his co-workers and friends.

Mark was a family man who especially loved playing with his grandchildren. Church and faith were an important part of his life. He attended and volunteered at Calvary Chapel of Vero Beach where he volunteered doing audio visual. He was a patient and understanding father with a kind, measured personality. His presence will be greatly missed, but there is solace in our assurance he will live in the joyous presence of God forever.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Mex and Gloria Bleck. Mark is survived by his wife, Donna of Vero Beach, Florida; daughter, Lara Ruth Parr (husband James) and their two sons, Kody and Owen of Orlando, Florida; son, Brian Bleck (wife Zhanna) of Cookeville, Tennessee, who were recently married on July 3rd; Mark's twin sisters, Cindy (Rich Hill) and Sandy Bleck-Weaver, both of Kansas City, Missouri.

Funeral Services will be held on Monday, December 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at Celebration Community Church, 501 Celebration Place, Celebration, Florida 34747. Burial and luncheon to follow.

Donations in Mark's memory can be made to Life Church, 2223 N. Washington Avenue, Cookeville, Tennessee 38501 or American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), P.O. Box 90555, Washington, D.C. 20090 (tax deductible); www.ACLJ.org