Obituary of Mark David Soehn

Mark, late of Regina, SK, passed away on Thursday, January 31, 2019 at the age of 55 years.  He was predeceased by his mother Margaret in 1967; his father Joseph in 1987; and brother James in 2016.  Mark is survived by his six siblings, Trevor (Ruth), Keith, Jennifer, Brenda, Murray and Ron (Sheila); four nephews, Leon, Jeffrey, Carlin and Jamin; and two nieces, Samantha and Breanne.   Although Mark was the youngest of eight children, he was the tallest.  Mark wasn’t a sports enthusiast, except when it came to collecting sports cards.  He gravitated to other hobbies such as reading and studying war history, particularly Napoleon and World War II.  He could recite strategies utilized in many famous battles and the psyche of these leaders intrigued him.  Like many families growing up in the seventies, our family loved playing board games.  However, as quick as we would master a game, we would tire of it and modify the board and or rules to enhance the out-of-the-box experience.  Mark had a particular interest in war board games, to the extent of helping to create and build many of our own large map-based games with hundreds of hand drawn tiles to represent troops and artillery with complex rules. It was a way he could feel in control, like a General on the battlefield, drawing from the very strategies he’d so carefully read about.   Although timid, Mark was talented in his own right.  After years teaching himself to read music and playing his small electric piano without one lesson, we were surprised hearing a piano teacher comment one day that he played at a grade 8 royal conservatory level.  He was fascinated by JS Bach and on his own, had achieved the ability to play some of Bach’s fugues. As we mourn the loss and cherish the memories, we find comfort in these words of Jesus, knowing our brother Mark, has also found comfort:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”  

In place of a funeral service, the family will remember his life at a private gathering and interment in Riverside Memorial Park.