|
Garrick ArendsGarrick@StreetSourceMag.comFor those of you that didn’t know Mark Zelfer, you missed out on meeting one of the nicest people on the face of the earth. I’ve known Mark for a few years and was proud to know him. I spent the week of May 17-21st with Mark, and will carry those last days with him for the rest of my life! Even though we where in different states, Mark made a difference in my life and with every kind word he has ever said…. I can honestly say that I wish I were more like him. I made me laugh with out even trying and was always willing to help out without asking. Mark I miss you…….you will always be in my thoughts and prayers……. As for Katy, I never had a chance to meet her. Although I’ve heard nothing but good. May you rest in peace. Todd…. if you are reading this, if you need anything…..Let me know man, I’m here for you! Kevin Whipps///RA AZMark Zelfer. Funny thing is I never figured I’d be writing an obituary for one of my good friends and club president, but here I am. I mean Mark was only 26. He shouldn’t have died so young, and he certainly shouldn’t have died now when things were just starting to look up. However, let me tell you a little bit about the Mark Zelfer I knew, and what I would like him to be remembered for. The first day I met Mark was also the first day I petitioned to join Relaxed Atmosphere Arizona. We had a barbeque that day, and little did I know that the quiet guy in the corner would become my very close friend. That guy just sat there for most of the day while we all chomped down hamburgers, but once we went out front to look over the new potential vehicles, he looked over my Civic quite intensely.
|
You can only imagine how nervous I was because my Civic was still relatively new, and I hoped he wouldn’t find some flaw or two that I didn’t know about. A minute later he got up and said the first words I’d heard him say all day: “Nice car.” The thing about Mark was that he was a very animated guy. He had this way of being goofy and funny without him even knowing about it. He had these glasses that he wore when he did his paperwork for his job that were so huge they dwarfed his face. I mean these glasses looked like those cartoon style ones you get at Disneyworld except they were real. He also had this crazy laugh that had a bit of a wheezy moan to it. Its so hard to describe, but it was one of the first things I noticed about him. At first I was embarrassed to hear it. Now I wish I could hear it again. The other thing that most of us will remember about Mark was that he was a clean freak. He worked for a automotive detail supply company, so he always had tire dressing on hand. If you drove over to Mark’s house he would nonchalantly sneak out of the house and quickly clean your tires for you. He was the best guy to know before a show because he had everything on hand to clean with. He always was ready to help you out with whatever you needed no matter what it was. As I was writing this I took a moment to call my parents. They had the obituary. As I drove over to their house with two movies from Blockbuster in the passenger seat, I was trying to think about other things. “I’ll rent American Beauty, get some popcorn, and kick it on the couch.” Once I walked into the house though I realized it was going to be a very different evening. There it was. The obituary. As if things couldn’t be real enough, there it was in black and white. There was a picture of Mark and a large blurb on his life. “Part of Relaxed Atmosphere Truck club, lived in Hawaii, Tennessee, and California.” Does any of this give Mark Justice? Can 200 words sum up the life that was Mark?
|
