Mark Wayne Martindale, 79, returned peacefully to his Heavenly Father on December 29, 2023 after a brief illness incidental to age. Mark was born November 29, 1944 in Oakley, Idaho to Verla Hale and David Ruland Martindale. He was the sixth of eight siblings Norine, Bernice "Bonnie", David, Marcia, Rod, Glenda and Kim. He spent his childhood in Oakley where he enjoyed a variety of activities including sports, hunting, fishing and visiting the nearby mountains and City of Rocks. He had a love of the outdoors, spending much time with his father, siblings and friends camping in the nearby mountains and City of Rocks, as well as hunting and fishing. A prized possession he kept all his life was a bolt-action .22 rifle he was given by his parents. A childhood accident that broke his right arm forced him to learn to shoot left-handed, though he was naturally right-handed. After his arm healed, he continued to use his left hand and was somewhat of a "lefty" for the rest of his life. He was an active boy, who, though known for terrorizing the town's chickens with his friends, was also known to be a great benefit and help to his family and community. A defining moment in his life was when his father suddenly and unexpectedly passed away when Mark was 9 years old. This left his mother a widow with 4 children and 4 older step-children. His mother's determination to provide for her family developed in Mark a keen sense of charity for widows, which he practiced throughout the remainder of his life. He always was among the tallest of his peers, and thus became an imposing force on his scholastic sports teams for the Oakley Hornets, including football, basketball, and track & field. At 6'4", he played center for his basketball team. He was a linebacker and tight end for his football team, where he once returned a fumble 95 yards for a touchdown. He graduated from Oakley High School in 1963. He was offered a scholarship to play basketball for Ricks College (BYU-I), but turned it down to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was called to serve in the Alaskan-Canadian mission, spending particularly memorable times in Prince Rupert, British Columbia and Ketchikan, Alaska. Following his mission, he attended Brigham Young University, where he majored in Physical Education, inspired by his boyhood pursuits. The ongoing Vietnam War prompted him to join the Army National Guard, where he served from 1969-1975. After returning home from basic training in the National Guard, he started working for JR Simplot to save money to return to school at BYU. His Aunt Norma and brother, Kim told him about a schoolteacher at Oakley High School and encouraged him to ask her out. In December of 1969, he was set up on a blind date with Janis Marie Goodwin. They were married in the Logan LDS Temple on July 10, 1970. After their marriage, the couple moved to Burley, Idaho and their first child, Teresa was born a year later. The family moved to Provo, Utah so that Mark could continue his education at BYU. He felt the responsibility of caring for his young family, and although he had not completed his degree at BYU, he decided to accept a job offer from the JR Simplot Company, and the family returned to Burley. Mark would work for Simplot ultimately as a maintenance coordinator for the rest of his career, retiring in 2010. They lived in Burley until 1984, where 2 more children, Eric and Brett, were born. The family moved to Caldwell, Idaho, where he remained for the rest of his life. Mark was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served variously as an Elder's Quorum president, high councilor, member of 3 bishoprics, and a service missionary with Janis at the Church's employment centers in Boise and Nampa. His favorite service for the church was as a temple ordinance worker at the Meridian LDS Temple from 2017-2023. Mark continued to develop talents throughout his life which he used primarily to serve others. He taught his children to play sports and coached them. He tended a large garden to produce fresh produce and storage for his family. He made many pounds of candy every Christmas season for friends and family. He learned to cross-stitch from his grandmother-in-law, and made at least 20 elaborate cross-stitch projects, some of which are, certainly to his dismay, unfinished. He enjoyed taking the scenic route on road trips, studying family history, serving in the temple, and watching sports of any variety, especially BYU sports. Above all, Mark loved his family. His life was full of sacrifices for the well-being and enjoyment of his wife and his children, which ultimately brought him joy. His favorite topic of conversation was to dote on the successes of his children and grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Janis, whose final resting place he visted routinely for the remainder of his life. Also preceded by his parents, Verla and David, and siblings, Norine (Merrill) Robinson, Bernice "Bonnie" Young , David, Marcia (Ted) Coombs and Rod (Pat) Martindale. He is survived by his children Teresa (Tim) Gamble, Eric (Margaret) and Brett (Britney) Martindale; 13 grandchildren Ezra, Brooks, Ella, Abigayle, William, Hayden, Ryan, Joshua, Tamsen, Alexis, Ryker, Baylee, Skylar; sister Glenda King; brother Kim (Calleen) Martindale. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, January 4 at the Caldwell 11th Ward LDS Chapel, 15782 Farmway Road, Caldwell. A viewing will be held at the church on Wednesday evening, January 3 from 7:00-8:30 pm and again at the church from 10-10:45 am Thursday prior to the services. A graveside service will be held at noon on Friday, January 5 in Logan, Utah at the Logan City Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Zeyer Funeral Chapel, Nampa.

Click this link to view additional details about Mark's Services, including any available live streams: https://my.gather.app/remember/mark-martindale