Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Mark Shore was born in 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. Mark weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces, and he was the most beautiful baby. Wherever his mother, Miriam, went, people would stop her and say, "That is the most gorgeous baby we've ever seen." This went on for years. When Mark was five-months-old, the family moved west to Southern California. Three years later, his sister, Michelle, was born. Michelle was a curly head cutie pie and every footstep Mark took, she was trailing behind. His mother had a great influence on his life as she and Mark had a special relationship. As a big brother, he was the best. When kids teased his sister, he protected her from the bullies. She was always known as Mark Shore's little sister. Mark had a subscription to Sports Illustrated since he was eight-years-old and he collected baseball cards and baseball caps. He loved sports as he played in Little League. As soon as he could swing a bat, he was on a team. He also played basketball and football. He enjoyed skateboarding in the street and played in street hockey tournaments as early as the age of 10. He was a huge fan of the Philadelphia Phillies and he loved the New York Giants and the LA Lakers. His favorite players were Magic Johnson in basketball and Lawrence Taylor in football. He had a stereo in his room and loved playing R&B so he could really feel the music. One of his favorite groups was Earth, Wind and Fire. He also loved songs by Stevie Wonder, especially the song "Sir Duke." He was a great dancer and he was always the first one on the dance floor. He loved to get the party started.

At Grant High School, Mark was voted the person with the most beautiful eyes and he always had many friends. He loved being an announcer for high school games. His heroes growing up were Howard Cosell from Wide World of Sports, Chick Hearn from the Lakers, and Vin Scully from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He dreamed of becoming a sports announcer one day. He graduated from Ulysses S. Grant High School in Van Nuys and earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications at California State University, Northridge. After graduation, Mark worked in high school athletics, coaching basketball at a Valley high school. Professionally, Mark worked as a Line Producer on Janet Jackson's "Control" album and helped in the production of all of her hit videos for her comeback. For the next 20 years, he found a successful career in Post Production in the Entertainment Industry working for a variety of facilities.

In 1993, he married Monika and the couple held two wedding ceremonies, one in Toronto and one in Los Angeles. Their greatest gift was delivered in 1995 with the birth of their daughter, Sydney. Mark was in the room when she was born and he was crying as he was the first to hold his newborn daughter. He nicknamed her "Punch" and over the years, he loved coaching her in soccer and attending her dance recitals. He and Monika grew apart and divorced, but they raised Sydney together taking important roles in her life.

In 1997, Mark met Kim. The couple married in 2000 in an outdoor ceremony at the Calabasas Inn. The couple was so pleased to welcome their daughter's birth in 2002. They named her Ava. Mark was in the hospital room when she was born and he was also the first to hold her. Michelle and Sydney baked a batch of cookies and took them to the hospital room the next day. There is a beautiful photo of Sydney holding baby Ava in her arms. One of Mark's best friends from childhood, Bob Levitt and his wife Sarah, delivered their child in the same hospital the next day as well, creating some wonderful memories. Mark also had a nickname for Ava, calling her "Ava Gravy."

Mark's love of sports was a big part of his life. He served as an umpire for the Municipal softball league for more than three years. He kept a great group of friends from his childhood and he loved playing football with them every year on Thanksgiving morning in the Turkey Bowl. For fun, he loved Las Vegas playing Let it Ride, Hi-Low, slot machines, and sports betting. Any chance he'd get, he liked going to Vegas. He had many favorites. He loved the TV show "Judge Judy" and even taped episodes to watch them later. He loved the WWF, watching wrestling every Monday night and pay-per-view events. He even owned a Hulk Hogan doll. Mark had a large collection, owning 100 different Bobble Heads. He liked eating burgers from Burger King or Tommy Burger and his favorite drink was Diet Pepsi. His favorite songs were "Reasons" by Earth, Wind and Fire, and "My Way" by Frank Sinatra. With a love of animals, he enjoyed the companionship of his Ridgeback Boxer mix dog, "L.T." who is 12-years-old.

Soccer had a special place in his heart as his daughters' participation in AYSO Region 71 brought him joy on the field. He joined AYSO as a volunteer coach and board member. He loved everything he did with his daughters. One of his favorite things to do with Sydney, Ava and Kim was to play Uno Attack on Saturday nights.

Mark was the kind of guy who was passionate about everything he did in life. If he wanted a Slushy from 7-11, he went and got a Slushy. He didn't sit on the sidelines, instead he lived life. If he loved something, it was everything. The weekend before, he enjoyed a wonderful birthday party for Ava. In fact, Sydney loves the photo taken with her father during that birthday. On Saturday, he enjoyed a great day at soccer all day long. His final hours were spent with the family he loved so much. As a family man, the greatest part of his life was Kim and his children, Sydney and Ava. He loved being a father. He always told his daughters "I love you." He enjoyed birthday parties for the girls and holidays together with family such as Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas and Passover. Into adulthood, he really had a great friendship with his sister, Michelle, as they were a part of each other's lives. He was proud of his Jewish heritage and loved everything life had to offer. Mark was spirited, loud at times, stubborn at times, and passionate about everything. Mark Shore will best be remembered as a wonderful father, a leader and devoted volunteer. He was the one wearing a smile and he was truly the life of the party. To his daughters, Sydney and Ava, he would tell them to do well in school, be happy and don't forget him. His family will miss everything about him. His mother will miss his laughter, his smile, and his backhanded compliments and jokes. He was a great guy and a terrific father. His daughters adored him. He put his heart into everything he did and was always protective of his family and loved working with the kids. Michelle will miss knowing he was there because she could call him at a moment's notice. Monika will miss him not being there as Sydney's father. Kim will miss talking to him and sharing their experiences about Ava and life. She'll also miss the many phone calls and text messages every day. Mark's advice to everyone would be to "Rock On."

Mark is loved and remembered by his daughters Sydney and Ava, extended relatives, and many close friends. He will be especially missed as a volunteer board member and coach in AYSO Soccer Region 71. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are welcome to the Mark Shore Memorial Fund for Sydney and Ava Shore through any Wells Fargo Bank.