Mark Bourne, 1961-2012

For those of you who do not yet know, Mark Bourne passed away February 25th, 2012 at the age of fifty. His official obituary can be found below.  Glenn Erickson did a lovely description of Mark’s contribution to film critiquing on his page at dvdsavant.com.

 

Mark Wilson Bourne passed away February 25th, 2012 at the age of fifty. He was born July 10, 1961 in Russellville, Arkansas to Philip and Elizabeth Wade Bourne.  The middle of three boys, he is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, his stepson, Austin Lawhead, both brothers, Richard Bourne of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Randall Bourne of Phoenix, Arizona and a large network of friends and chosen family.  Mark graduated from Russelville High School in 1979 and first attended Arkansas Tech, then the University of Arkansas where he earned his bachelor’s with a double major in Music and English.  He then achieved a Master’s Degree in Theatre at the University of Nebraska.

Mark went on to script shows at planetaria and museums across the country.  He is also well published and highly regarded in the science fiction field.  His story “What Dreams Are Made On” was reprinted in the 4th edition of Literature and Ourselves: a Thematic Introduction for Readers and Writers — making Mark a writer of academic significance.  Mark is also listed in Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction as having the earliest use of “morph” in a professionally published story “Being Human”.

But the things Mark was known best for can’t be quantified by the remarkable facts of his life, like his dry and mischievous sense of humor, his infectious grin, his fierce friendship, his braininess and insight, and his love and generosity. He’ll never truly be gone as long as we remember him.

A photo montage celebrating Mark's life is available at YouTube.com

The family asks that donations be made to Heifer International in Mark's name, in lieu of flowers.