Mark Andrew Marvel

Born: 3/24/1967 Died: 3/27/2013 Mark Andrew Marvel, 46, of Newark, DE, passed away peacefully in his sleep and went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. The son of Joyce and Andrew Marvel, Mark grew up in Georgetown where “Sumo” (as he was known) became a state wrestler for the Sussex Central Golden Knights. Mark was always ambitious, starting his own paper route at ten; by his teens, Mark was a professional dee-jay with his own business. Mark’s joy came from his years as a member of and then as Assistant Fire Chief for the Georgetown Fire Department. Mark also shared his love, passion for serving the community and his knowledge as an instructor at the Delaware Fire School. He carried this passion for the fire service with him to Texas where he resided until his return to Delaware in 2011. He returned to Delaware and married his love, whom he had first met in middle school. When diabetes ravaged Mark’s eyesight and body, he didn’t feel sorry for himself; instead he created Blind Ambitions Groups, a non-profit organization created to offer education and support to the blind. Mark then grew Blind Ambitions into a job training and job readiness program to assist the blind in finding employment. Mark was a big personality, full of life and love, and jokes–often bad jokes. Mark’s laughter and joy of life was contagious. Mark enjoyed talking to everyone he met. Mark touched many lives, both professionally and personally, and his presence will be missed by all who knew him. Mark is survived by his wife, Nancy O’Donnell-Marvel; his children, Brittany Diane Webb, Steven Patrick Marvel, Andrew Marvel, and Haley Renee Marvel; and his aunt, Loy Hood. Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Joyce and Andrew Marvel. A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, April 2nd, at the Grace United Methodist Church, 7 South King Street, Georgetown, DE 19947, where friends may call after 10 am. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Blind Ambitions Groups, 101 Kinross Drive, Newark, DE 19711 so that Mark’s work with the blind may continue in his memory.