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We are trying to raise money for our Dads funeral, Mark Parkinson, age 55 who passed away on July 25th, 2015 at 12:28 pm at the Simi Valley Hospital in Simi Valley, CA. He was diagnosed with Renal Cell Carcinoma Cancer two and a half years ago and has been battling it bravely and with dignity up until the very end. Anyone that had the privledge of coming into contact with our Dad knew he was a very kind, easy going, loving person. He kept his sense of humor up until the very end.
He had been put on Hospice a year ago. He didn't receive the best care from them unfortunately and we were left to care for him to the best of our ability. Sometimes it was enough, sometimes it wasn't, especially towards the end. He was home with us, which is what he wanted, up until he became non-responsive and we couldn't care for him the way that he needed. He was admitted to the hospital two weeks ago.
He was a fighter and a survivor and fought until he took his last breath. He left us with beautiful memories of a Father and Grandpa that will be truly missed and loved always.
He leaves behind four loving children, Jennifer, age 30, Jackee, age 27, Joshua, age 25 and Dylan, age 14. He also had four grand children with one on the way, due on his birthday, September 16th of this year. He also has an ex wife, Lori whom he knew since the age of 12. Despite their divorce, they remained close and loved one another dearly. A mother In Law, Rebecca. A cousin named Lori. His Mother and Father are both deceased. His brother died tradgically and unexpedically when he was 17. His sister also preceded him in death.
We were his family and his children and grand children meant everything to him. He raised motorcycles as a young kid and had many passions, inculding working on cars,doing auto body and was very talented. He lived life to the fullest which he passed down to us. Life wasn't always perfect, as it never is, but we had parents that truly loved us and gave us everything that they could even if we never had very much, we didn't know growing up. They made sure of that.
He had a tumor growing on his kidney for 18 years which he found out about two years ago. He always had health issues of being tired which he never knew why. Now it all makes sense. He had the tumor removed two years ago, it weighed 8 pounds. When he was diagnosed it was to late for treatment and was terminal. After his surgery his health took a turn for the worst. Anyone who has ever dealt with cancer, either having it themself or having a loved one diagnosed with it knows how it rips through your family at the very core and watching it destroy your loved ones health and deteriorate their body until there is nothing left... there are no words to describe it. It at many times felt like a nightmare. You want to help and make it go away and you can't. The feeling of heplessness is perhaps one of the worst feelings when you watch the person who raised you and always had so much life and was so strong slowly die, you never would think anything could bring them down, even with the diagnosis of terminal cancer, you somewhow think or convince yourself that they can beat it. They have to. But in the end, it takes them away and knowing you will never see them again or hear their voice is heartbreaking.
Denial set in for everyone, including my Dad. Even when he could barely get out of bed, we all thought that maybe by eating the right things or by even praying enough, that somehow there would be some miracle. But there wasn't. In the end you realize that their strength is no match for this horrible disease. Maybe one day there will be a cure, and no one will have to go through this but until then all we can do is hope and pray for others that are going through similar situations. We know how painful this is. We try to stay positive and laugh at the things that would make us cry otherwise, it is what our Dad would have wanted. All we can do now is make him proud of us wherever he may be, we know he is looking down on us now and we are thankful he is no longer suffering. That brings us peace.
But we are still faced with a dilema of not having enough to pay for his burial services. Being in denial didn't help any of us to save enough money to afford his burial serivce and anyone who has had to bury a loved one knows how expensive it is, we really had no clue. We were so wrapped up in trying to save him and keep him from pain as much as possible, we ran out of time. In order to truly have peace and honor our Dad the way that he deserves or any human being deserves, we need the funds to make this possible.
Anything will help and will truly be appreciated more than you could ever know. Please help us give him the proper burial and service that we need to truly honor him and say good-bye.
We will always love and cherish you Dad. We know we will see you again one day and we know you are with your family and your Brother.
We love you Dad.
He had been put on Hospice a year ago. He didn't receive the best care from them unfortunately and we were left to care for him to the best of our ability. Sometimes it was enough, sometimes it wasn't, especially towards the end. He was home with us, which is what he wanted, up until he became non-responsive and we couldn't care for him the way that he needed. He was admitted to the hospital two weeks ago.
He was a fighter and a survivor and fought until he took his last breath. He left us with beautiful memories of a Father and Grandpa that will be truly missed and loved always.
He leaves behind four loving children, Jennifer, age 30, Jackee, age 27, Joshua, age 25 and Dylan, age 14. He also had four grand children with one on the way, due on his birthday, September 16th of this year. He also has an ex wife, Lori whom he knew since the age of 12. Despite their divorce, they remained close and loved one another dearly. A mother In Law, Rebecca. A cousin named Lori. His Mother and Father are both deceased. His brother died tradgically and unexpedically when he was 17. His sister also preceded him in death.
We were his family and his children and grand children meant everything to him. He raised motorcycles as a young kid and had many passions, inculding working on cars,doing auto body and was very talented. He lived life to the fullest which he passed down to us. Life wasn't always perfect, as it never is, but we had parents that truly loved us and gave us everything that they could even if we never had very much, we didn't know growing up. They made sure of that.
He had a tumor growing on his kidney for 18 years which he found out about two years ago. He always had health issues of being tired which he never knew why. Now it all makes sense. He had the tumor removed two years ago, it weighed 8 pounds. When he was diagnosed it was to late for treatment and was terminal. After his surgery his health took a turn for the worst. Anyone who has ever dealt with cancer, either having it themself or having a loved one diagnosed with it knows how it rips through your family at the very core and watching it destroy your loved ones health and deteriorate their body until there is nothing left... there are no words to describe it. It at many times felt like a nightmare. You want to help and make it go away and you can't. The feeling of heplessness is perhaps one of the worst feelings when you watch the person who raised you and always had so much life and was so strong slowly die, you never would think anything could bring them down, even with the diagnosis of terminal cancer, you somewhow think or convince yourself that they can beat it. They have to. But in the end, it takes them away and knowing you will never see them again or hear their voice is heartbreaking.
Denial set in for everyone, including my Dad. Even when he could barely get out of bed, we all thought that maybe by eating the right things or by even praying enough, that somehow there would be some miracle. But there wasn't. In the end you realize that their strength is no match for this horrible disease. Maybe one day there will be a cure, and no one will have to go through this but until then all we can do is hope and pray for others that are going through similar situations. We know how painful this is. We try to stay positive and laugh at the things that would make us cry otherwise, it is what our Dad would have wanted. All we can do now is make him proud of us wherever he may be, we know he is looking down on us now and we are thankful he is no longer suffering. That brings us peace.
But we are still faced with a dilema of not having enough to pay for his burial services. Being in denial didn't help any of us to save enough money to afford his burial serivce and anyone who has had to bury a loved one knows how expensive it is, we really had no clue. We were so wrapped up in trying to save him and keep him from pain as much as possible, we ran out of time. In order to truly have peace and honor our Dad the way that he deserves or any human being deserves, we need the funds to make this possible.
Anything will help and will truly be appreciated more than you could ever know. Please help us give him the proper burial and service that we need to truly honor him and say good-bye.
We will always love and cherish you Dad. We know we will see you again one day and we know you are with your family and your Brother.
We love you Dad.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lori Greear-Burnham
Beneficiary