Howard Mark Budlong

Howard Mark Budlong, beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away on December 28th, 2014, at age 82, with the support of family by his side. He was born at the old St. Vincent Hospital in Portland, Oregon to parents Howard and Ouida Budlong.

After graduating from Grant High School and attending the University of Portland, Mark enlisted in the US Navy. He served our country valiantly during the Korean War. He served on the USS Kenneth Whiting (AV-14) as an Electronics Technician.

After the war, Mark worked for Pacific Northwest Bell as a station installer. Later he followed in the family restaurant business taking over as owner of Bill’s Steakhouse for 30 years.

He was married in 1962, and raised 4 children. He divorced and later married his sweetheart Charmion (Biehn) Golden in 1999. Mark was very involved in the Kiwanis Club and SnowCap. He also held memberships with Elks, CVIP, NASCAR, Humane Society, and the American Legion. Mark thrived on serving others. He set up a bottle collection for SnowCap and the Gresham Police Department which assisted families suffering hardships.

He loved wheels and drove the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and several tracks in the Carolinas. In retirement, he and Charmie traveled extensively. She will miss her dear companion of 25 years.

Mark is survived by his three sons Brian (Wendi) Budlong of Milwaukie, Bradley (Adeline) Budlong of Portland, James Budlong of Milwaukie, daughter Elaine Budlong of Portland, stepsons Daniel (Colleen) Golden, and James (Janine) Golden. He is also survived by his two grandsons Bailey and Avery Budlong, his two step grandsons Nolan and Carson Golden, his niece Jana Andreas of Illinois, and his nephew Mark Wilten of Georgia. He was preceded in death by his sister, mother, and father.

A funeral service honoring his life and legacy will be held Saturday January 3rd at 11:00 am at Gateway Little Chapel of the Chimes Funeral Home. Following the funeral service he will be laid to rest at Lincoln Memorial park at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp (www.mhkc.org) or to SnowCap Community Charities (www.snowcap.org).