Mark William Dykes

Mark William Dykes, beloved son, father, grandfather and brother, died on March 14, 2017 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Mark was born on March 14, 1961 in Pocatello, Idaho to Fred W. and Peggy L. True Dykes. Mark grew up in Pocatello exploring the Idaho wilderness. Mark was a vibrant brilliant intellectual. He studied both the French and Hebrew languages, and was deeply involved in the intellectual and scholarly aspects of Judaism.

Mark was a shareholder at Parsons Behle & Latimer. He specialized in Litigation and Environmental, Energy & Natural Resources practice groups and was the head of the firm’s Insurance Practice Group. Prior to joining Parsons, Mark practiced for 18 years with the former LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Mark served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Utah College of Law, where he has taught insurance law, and lectured and published in the fields of bankruptcy and insurance law.

Mark graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1987 from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of Law. In 1983, he received a B.A. degree, summa cum laude, from the College of Idaho.

Mark married Stefanie Joos in Salt Lake City, Utah (1990) later divorced. Together they raised their children, Zachary Amador, step-son, and Hannah Dykes, daughter.

Mark was an avid outdoorsman. He enjoyed backpacking, hiking, skiing, and mountain biking, often accompanied by his two Australian Shepard dogs, Sam and Caleb. Starting when he was seventeen years old and through his undergraduate years, Mark worked at Redfish Lake Lodge located in the Sawtooth Mountains. Redfish Lake was a place that held Mark’s heart and where he developed lifelong friends with Jack and Patty See and Mike and Sharon Poehling, owners of Redfish Lake Lodge.

Mark is survived by his father, Fred W. Dykes (Pocatello, ID); his brother, James Fred Dykes (Seattle, WA); his step-son Zachary M. Amador (Tasha Hutzler); his daughter, Hannah Paige Dykes (Alex Vazquez), his granddaughter, Vanessa, and his nieces Jamie Appleby-Dykes (Seattle, WA) and Erinn Appleby (Kerry Ann Durmick). Mark was preceded in death by his sweet mother, Peggy Dykes, all his grandparents and many cousins, aunts and uncles

Mark’s greatest joy during the last years of his life was his granddaughter Vanessa. He was a devoted father and grandfather and will be greatly missed by all who cared about him.

Thank you to Dr. Scott Samuelson at Utah Cancer Specialists. We are very grateful to Utah Cancer Specialists’ amazing staff of caregivers who were sensitive and responsive to Mark’s needs and who took quite a bit of teasing with grace and smile.

Mark’s wish was to return home to Pocatello, Idaho. Graveside service will be held at Mountain View Cemetery, 1520 South 5th Avenue, Pocatello, Idaho on Friday, March 17th at 1:00 p.m.

A visitation time for friends and family will be held at Wasatch Lawns Mortuary, 3401 Highland Drive, Salt Lake City Utah on Thursday evening, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest making a donation to Kol Ami, 2425 E Heritage Way, Salt Lake City, Utah, designated to supporting Adult Education and Religious School Education programs or to a charity working hard to preserve wilderness areas, such as, South Utah Wilderness Society (SUWA).