Mark Joseph Begelman passed away January 14, 2019 after suffering from heart and kidney disease. Mark lived a remarkable life as a loving son, brother, uncle, husband, and friend, highlighted by his expertise in watches and clocks. Mark was a natural comedian, a collector of stamps, coins, paper money and historical ephemera, and enjoyed life on his terms, while caring deeply for those close to him.
Mark was born in Great Neck, New York to Albert and Phyllis Begelman. Mark was a master clock and watchmaker, who began working on watches at the age of seven, and later added clocks to his repertoire. Mark attended Georgia Tech University, where he was a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. In 1982, Mark moved to California to seek better weather and a new job, landing jobs as a Quality Assurance Engineer at several firms in the Silicon Valley, and at Decker’s Jeweler’s in San Jose every Saturday until late 1998. Not having much time to date, it is fitting that his offer to replace a watch battery for a stranger at Long’s Drugs in Sunnyvale in 1999 led to a date with Leslie, and they married 20 months later. Mark worked for the County of Santa Clara at Weed Abatement, the Procurement Department and the Social Services Agency during his career.
Mark was a member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, attending a “clock meeting” each month. Mark also loved to pursue photography, do puzzles and word games, and watch the Food Network, reality TV, and the House and Garden Channel. Mark and Leslie took trips regularly, starting in Seattle less than three months after they met. Mark was known to all his friends as a smart, big-hearted man with a quirky sense of humor and a penchant for chocolate. Mark loved his 3 cats, regularly taking pictures of animals and of friends’ children.
Mark’s sweetness, authenticity, cleverness and caring, to say nothing of his watch and clock repair skills, will be missed by all who knew him.
Mark is survived by his wife Leslie Crowell, his brothers Bear Begelman (Barbara Loebel), Roger Begelman (Fern Goldstein), sister-in-law Donna Begelman, and nephews Zack and Dylan Loebel-Begelman, Kurt, Keith and Kent Begelman.
Donations to a charity of your choice are preferred in lieu of flowers.
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