Obituary of John Davis Mark

John Davis Mark, known to his family and longtime Pearland friends as “Mickey” passed away Thursday, September 17, 2020. Born March 10, 1930 in Celeste, Texas to Jess L. and Grace O’Barr Mark, Mick was the youngest of 6 children. The Mark family moved to Pearland in 1940. Mick graduated from Pearland High School where he was an outstanding all-around athlete and salutatorian of his class. He is in the Pearland High School athletic hall of fame for both baseball and basketball. He attended the University of Houston where he continued to play baseball, but an injury ended his dream of a professional baseball career. In the summer of 1952, he graduated from U of H, married his high school sweetheart, Carleen Nichols, and was drafted in the Army. In the Army, he served in Korea as a court reporter on General Courts Martial. Upon discharge from the Army, he started work in the chemical manufacturing field with Petro-Tex Chemical Corp and progressed to Purchasing Manager. In 1977, Denka Japan bought a part of Petro-Tex. He went to work for the Japanese Company and in 1984, he was one of the Founders of Denka Chemical Corp. an employee owned company, which bought the plant from the Japanese. At Denka Chemical he was the Manager of Commercial Services and served on the Board of Directors up until his retirement in 1990. Mick and Carleen maintained their residence in Pearland throughout the years. Mick was an avid reader, history buff and sportsman. In 1957, after Pearland High School had dropped baseball, he started Pearland Youth Baseball with a $100 donation from the Lion’s Club and donations from local merchants. The program started with 44 boys. He has been the president of the Pearland Historical Society since 1995 and wrote an 8-page Historical Newsletter which the more than 200 members looked forward to each quarter. Mickey is survived by Carleen Nichols Mark, his wife of 68 years and his sweetheart of 73 years; his sons, Kenneth Mark and wife Phyllis, and David Mark and wife Christel. Also by grandson Justin Mark and wife Stephanie, great grandsons, Blayne and Ethen Mark, granddaughters Chelie Nelson and husband Pete, great grandchildren Jack, Missy, Molly and Thomas Nelson and granddaughters Alison Peterson and husband, Nick and Lesley Pineda and husband, Ricardo. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Jess Mark, Jr., Eugene Mark, Roy Mark; and sisters, Eleanor Ruth Mark and Dorothy Mark Givens. A Memorial Service for Mark will be held Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 3:00 pm at Clayton Funeral Home, 5530 W. Broadway, Pearland, Texas 77581 with Rev. Dr. Keith Whitaker officiating.