Mark Stern died on July 28, 2007 in Mountain View, Calif., surrounded by his family. He was born on May 28, 1974 in Seattle.
Mark grew up on Mercer Island with his parents Sheryl and Eddie Stern, and his older sister, Leslie. At the age of 10, he discovered his self-assuredness on the stage. As a child actor, he appeared in productions at Youth Theatre Northwest, Issaquah Village Theatre, Renton Civic Theatre and the Mukilteo Community Theatre.
Mark received his Jewish education at Herzl-Ner Tamid Conservative Congregation on Mercer Island. His Bar Mitzvah was a particular source of pride. Summers at camps Solomon Schechter and Ramah further strengthened his sense of Jewish identity.
In high school, Mark excelled scholastically and discovered many interests. He joined DECA and Junior Achievement, the student marketing and business organizations, where he developed his strong business and leaderships skills. Sponsored by Puget Power, Mark was president of three JA companies, leading each to award-winning success. For his work in Junior Achievement, Mark received local, national and international recognition.
A 1996 graduate of the University of Washington, Mark obtained a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. Mortar Board, the national college honor society, recognized him for his achievements in scholarship, leadership and community service. Mark was concerned with human welfare. He was a member of WashPIRG, the consumer and environmental advocacy group and AIPAC, the American Israeli Affairs Committee. He was a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and a tutor and mentor to inner-city children.
While in college, Mark spent a year studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Just like everywhere else, he made a name for himself in every arena he visited, from editing his professor’s book on terrorism to nearly sitting in on a meeting with Yassir Arafat and other members of the Palestinian Authority. He loved his year living there. He traveled extensively throughout the region, carrying his stories and experiences in his backpack as he moved from one country to another, one phase of life to the next.
After college, Mark was hired by Intel to work at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. He was promoted from rotation engineer to strategic market analyst to the Intel Think Tank. He worked in Intel’s offices in the United States, England, Germany, Hong Kong and China.
Mark met his wife, Maytal, in San Jose, Calif., while Israeli dancing at a Jewish camp for young adults. They were married in Cesaria, Israel, in October 2004 in an outdoor wedding on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. After a two-month honeymoon in Europe, the couple returned to California. In September 2006, their daughter Zoe was born. She is Mark’s greatest legacy.
For Mark, life was a journey. He rappelled off cliffs, river-rafted, hiked and skied. With his warm smile, he possessed the unique gift of drawing others to him and of bringing people together.
The suddenness of his illness and death stunned his family and shocked the community. After two months of suffering with unresolved back pain, Mark was diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer. He died 10 days later.
Mark is survived by his wife, Maytal; daughter, Zoe; parents Sheryl and Eddie; sister, Leslie (Paul) Kaplan; nephew Zachary; grandparents Ann and Harry Moises, and Meta Stern; in-laws Efraim and Dalia Shek; and numerous aunts and uncles, cousins and friends.