Obituary of Mark Alan Siddoway

Mark Alan Siddoway, 64, of Friendswood, Texas, passed away peacefully at his home on January 16, 2018. Mark was born October 28, 1953, in Montebello, California.  His parents were Denton and Mildred Siddoway of Teton, Idaho and he was the second of four boys in the family.  Mark attended elementary school in Teton and was the valedictorian of the Class of 1972 at South Fremont High School. He grew up working alongside his dad and brothers on the family farm in Teton and on the family sheep ranch in Egin.

Mark’s love of science led him to attain a B.S. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.  While in California for his PhD work, Mark met and married the love of his life (and the only woman who could put up with his intermittent driving habits) Gloria Jarvis.  After receiving his doctorate, Mark and Gloria moved to Houston and were blessed with two sons: Ben and Denton.  Mark always prioritized family, providing unwavering enthusiasm and support for his children’s many endeavors.

In Texas he began a long and storied career with the Shell Chemical Corporation, resulting in over 15 patents.  Mark loved his work and held many senior technical and executive R&D positions in both Houston and New Orleans with Shell before retiring.  However, his hardworking spirit wouldn’t allow him to sit still for long and he began teaching classes and served as chairman of the Process Development Department at Alvin Community College.  He then moved on to join the Dow Chemical Corporation as a R&D Fellow in 2011.  Mark took a great amount of pride in training younger generations of engineers and scientists throughout his career.    

Mark was a member of the LDS Church and loved by all who knew him.   Mark lived life with (often loud) enthusiasm and taught his boys the value of hard work and the importance of being together as a family.  He cherished his wife and was in the process of preparing for a sealing in the LDS temple at the time of his passing.  Mark was a kind, warm and supporting man with a huge laugh and a genuine love for life and all those around him.  He will be deeply missed by the many people he touched over the years.  Mark is survived by his wife Gloria and their two sons, Ben and Denton, and by his brothers Doug (Lauri), Steve (Rebecca) and Bryant (Ramona) and many nieces and nephews.

The family has established a memorial page with one of Mark’s favorite charities, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and hope that you will consider contributing to this wonderful organization in lieu of flowers.        

http://giftfunds.stjude.org/MarkSiddoway

A visitation will be held Wednesday, January 24, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Clayton Funeral Home, 5530 W Broadway, Pearland, Texas 77581. Funeral services will be held at the Friendswood Texas Stake Center at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Friendswood, 505 Deseret Drive, Friendswood, Texas 77546, on Thursday, January 25, with a visitation from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and services beginning at 11:30 a.m. with Bishop Sean Chidester officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Park East Cemetery in Webster, Texas.