Mark Steven Rademaker

When I needed him, he was always there for me. I will miss him for the rest of my life.

I had the privilege of working with Mark for many years, first as peers when we were both VPs, and later with Mark as President and me reporting to him. Over that time, we shared many meetings in his office or over lunches that would usually start with business and somehow end up covering life. Family, cars, computers, hockey, the happenings in our life at the moment, and comical absurdities like how bad drivers are in town, with the list going on.. His family was often part of our conversations. He would talk proudly about his sons, Scott and Kyle, their hockey days, the progression of their careers and their achievements. He would talk about Chris and her love of gardening, and about one of their first homes in Sapperton where they had a fruitful garden. Those conversations are some of the things I will miss most.

Mark also had a tough exterior and usually cut straight to the point. He had tremendous business acumen and a way of thinking ten steps ahead in the “chess game” as he would call it. He was logical, measured and thoughtful, and when something interested him or was required of him, he went deep. He seemed to have an endless body of knowledge about everything and once told me that if he wrote something down, he wouldn’t forget it. That was very Mark: naturally curious, incredibly detailed about the things he cared about, and perfectly happy to ignore the things he didn’t.

There was also another side of Mark that came out through his stories. He would tell me about travelling the world when he was young and some of the more reckless decisions from those days, including an attempt to jump a creek on a dirt bike that resulted in injury. I always enjoyed those stories, perhaps because they were such a contrast to the measured, ten steps ahead Mark I knew. He had clearly lived, made mistakes, learned from them, and accumulated a lot of perspective along the way.

I also came to see how deeply Mark cared about people. I remember discussing a potential hire with him once, someone who already had a stable job. Mark wasn’t comfortable asking that person to leave that security for an opportunity unless he truly believed there was a substantial chance of success. He simply couldn’t put someone in that position for his own benefit. That conversation stayed with me because it showed the consideration for others that sat behind his decisions. It was just one example of the perspective, respect and genuine care for people that I saw in Mark over the years.

That same care for others extended into the community. Mark gave countless hours to hockey, first with the Burnaby Winter Club and later with Pacific Coast Amateur Hockey Association. Though there were many positives, he certainly wasn’t shy about telling me some of the frustrations that came with it either. One day, I asked him why he continued to volunteer even though his sons had finished playing hockey. He told me he wanted to give back, so other families could have the same positive experiences that hockey had given his own family. He believed giving back to the community was a very important part of life. That said a lot about who he was.

Being Mark’s right hand man and sounding board gave me the opportunity to have many deep discussions with him, and I learned far more than just business. He taught me to approach life with more perspective and peace, to spend less time ruminating about things that haven't even occurred, and “awfulizing” things outside of my control.

One of his sayings that has always stuck with me was, “Don’t get mad at a cat because it can’t read.” It was classic Mark: direct, logical, a little funny, and carrying a much deeper lesson underneath.

Mark, I’m incredibly grateful for the years I've known you, for everything you taught me, and especially for all of those conversations. I will miss you dearly. Rest in peace my friend.

Dear Chris, Kyle and Scott. You have my sincere condolence and heart-felt sympathy on the passing of your Husband and Father. It has been my great pleasure to have a friendship with "Markus" for 40 years. We spent many days on golf courses together, many months talking about amazing four wheeled vehicles and talking about hockey and years working together in the IT industry. You will be forever missed, Rads!
Rest in Peace, my Friend.
Rob

Mark - it has been forever since I’ve seen you but I remember you at family gatherings. You were such a good husband and dad. I’ll always remember you coming to the apartment I’ve shared with your sister on Main Street and hanging out with us and having drinks, I hope you see your journey and happy and peaceful right now. . My condolences to the family and your parents.

Dear Family,

Our deepest sympathy for the loss of (y)our beloved Mark. Although we’re at some physical distance, the Family-bond has always and will always be felt. With fond memories on the peculiar sense of humor that apparently ignores where one is born. There’s always an open door on this side of the pond and we look forward seeing you again! Lots of love and strength!

Dear Mark,

It has taken me a few days to gather my feelings. I went through so many emotions, from Sadness, Grief, and Anger to Reflection and Gratitude. From the countless number of calls and messages I received since Thursday from former colleagues, customers & partners, all sharing their same feelings, it showed me the deep impact you had on so many. Your absence will leave a hole in the hearts of Sudden Technologies for a long time.

For me, you have helped and been there throughout my professional life but more importantly, in my personal life especially at my absolute lowest point in 2003. You being present and giving me advice during that tough time mean the world to me.

Many people mention “mentor” or “coach” while describing you (which you also were that to me), you were more like that Big Brother who you didn’t always have to speak to everyday but you knew, was in your corner without ever having to say it. In the 26-years I have worked with and for you, you have shown confidence in me, been brutally honest when I needed it, and never once ever made me feel like I ever had to “Earn it”. I think you knew I would be more worried about disappointing you and letting you down than anything.

You’ve referred to me as a loyal soldier. I know some might take that negatively, but coming from you, I wear that title as a badge of honour. It comes from knowing my self-worth, confidence, integrity and being behind the scenes to help prop-up others without the fanfare – all lessons from you.

I will always cherish the chats in your office & smoke pit, laughs at Boardroom East, dinners, off-hour times during business trips, and the conversations while on pursuit to find the perfect Old Fashioned. I’m also happy I was able to visit you a couple of times recently and get to share more laughter and stories one last time.

Thank you to your family; Chris, Kyle and Scott for sharing you with all of us. You were a force of nature in this industry and in so many lives.

But most of all, THANK YOU! I appreciate you more than these words can ever express. Even though you are gone, your memory will live on.

I am and will forever be a ‘Mark Rademaker Guy!’
Rest in Peace, Rads.

Your soldier, Shel

**taken from my LinkedIn & Personal Media Posting