Mark Andrew Caskey

Mark Andrew Caskey
Mark Caskey, age 63, died January 11, 2019 in the Atlanta Veterans Hospital, following an extended period of illness related to heart valve disease and congestive heart failure. Mark was enjoying an active retirement on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus when it became necessary to return to the United States. Married in September of 1978 to Luanne (Floetker), he was able to celebrate 40 years of marriage in the last weeks of his life.
Mark was born May 24, 1955 in Massillon, Ohio to Elsie Mae (Ziler) and Dale Edwin Caskey. He grew up in Elkhart, Indiana where he attended Elkhart High School and graduated from the newly established Elkhart Memorial HS. His curriculum followed half day enrollment at the Career Center in Building Trades (Technical Training Facility), an opportunity which he built upon for the rest of his life.
Mark served in the United States Navy from 1974 to 1980 in the division of Submarine Service and was assigned in the capacity of Machinist Mate to the USS Andrew Jackson, SSBN-619. It was here that he gained his skillset to enter the Nuclear Power Electrical Generation field. Mark was employed by the New York State Power Authority (later known as New York Power Authority) to work in Operations of the Indian Point 3 power plant in Peekskill, New York, moving through the ranks of Nuclear Plant Operator, Reactor Operator and Senior Reactor Operator; credentials issued through the licensing oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Mark entered the Training Department where he mentored other operators in their professional development. In 2005 Mark accepted work as a Human Factors specialist with Westinghouse Electrical Corp., Instrument and Control division with the focus of new groundbreaking Human-System Interface design. Mark served as a lead specialist in the refit of Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant in Varberg, Sweden in 2009 and 2010. In 2014 he accepted an opportunity to interface with ENEC, Emirate Nuclear Energy Corp. in the initial phases of control room design and operator training for the Barakah Nuclear Power Plants in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Mark was an avid singer and utilized his talent in the United Methodist houses of worship in Shrub Oak, NY, Murrysville, PA, Garden City, Monroeville, PA, and the Anglican Church of the Middle East Diocese in Tala, Paphos, Cyprus. His most enthusiastic choral ventures began with his introduction to The Pittsburgh Gospel Choir (now, Heritage Gospel Chorale) under the direction of Dr. Herbert V.R.P Jones. While in Cyprus he appeared on stage as a Pharisee in Two Sisters and a Funeral (Mary, Martha and the death of Lazarus), a production of Christian Music Ministries in the UK. Mark had also recently appeared in an amateur theater production of Fiddler on the Roof. He sang regularly with "Harmony", a local choral group based in Paphos. As a member of Secret Valley Golf Course, Mark enjoyed perfecting his game near Aphrodite Rock on the southwestern coast of Cyprus. His experiences and friendships within the golf community were a key source of contented retirement as an expat. A movie aficionado, Mark's head was full of trivia from TV and film. James Bond 007, Tom Clancy's espionage, American classic films, Marvel Comic Super Heroes and iconic Hollywood actors were key features of his fluency. He loved Rocky and Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right and his horse Nell.
Mark's interest in carpentry and framing lead him to refurbish a 1929 summer bungalow into a family home. It was a labor of love beginning in 1983 on the shores of Mohegan Lake, New York. Over the years many opportunities arose for Mark to improve the lives of others through his talents, beginning at age 16 on a United Methodist Missions project in Native American territories of Oklahoma. Mark served in the Tres Dias Community, an ecumenical weekend retreat-style program of personal Christian development. Mark was a seed planter in bringing this program to the Ukraine and subsequently participated in a ministry to orphans in that country. More recently Mark was vacationing in the country of South Africa and there he fell upon a situation in need. In the following days he provided roofing and construction expertise to this community center under development in Nkundusi village, Kwa-Zulu Natal, SA.
Summer vacation for Mark always meant Virginia Beach. His happy place was making sand art of sharks, dolphins, submarines and geometric shapes. He built in the sand on the Atlantic Coast, the Pacific Coast, the Gulf of Mexico and lastly, the Indian Ocean.
Mark was an enthusiastic fan of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish and Chicago's "Da Bears"!
The happiest day of Mark's life was on the weekend following his 45th birthday in May of 2000. His wife had bought him a secondhand car, a 1992 Mazda Miata convertible in Sunburst Yellow and surprised him with it at a family dinner party. The shock and amazement on his face, the sheer disbelief, stays with us to this day. We will always think of him tinkering on his car, upgrading it with accoutrements, and guarding it from his teenagers….
Mark is survived by his wife Luanne, son Ryan and daughter-in-law Megan of Acworth, GA, daughter Meredith of Alexandria, VA, sister Pamela Roling of Royce City, TX, brother Scott of Mishawaka, IN, and two grandchildren Haven and Lawson. His beloved in-laws Chris and Louis Floetker divide their time between Fishers, IN and San Benito, TX. Mark was preceded in death by his mother Elsie Adams, step-father Jack Adams, father Dale Caskey and son Caleb Morgan Caskey who died in the summer of 2017. Mark's heart was broken wide open but what a happy reunion is now theirs!
Arrangements are set for Friday, February 1 at the West Cobb Funeral Home and Crematory, 2480 Macland Rd, Marietta GA where the family will receive friends from 5 to 8 pm. A service of Christian celebration will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, February 2 at Due West United Methodist Church, 3956 Due West Rd NW, Marietta, officiated jointly by the Rev. Ann Mann and the Rev. Scott McCormick. Burial will be held at a later date in New York.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to the organization of your choice which assists families and individuals in housing needs; most notably Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, UMCOR disaster response, Men's Outreach Ministries of the United Methodist Church or other comparable relief efforts. Every beam raised and every shingle nailed in memory of Mark is deeply appreciated by his family.