The Fedorczyk family would like to thank everyone for their generous donations. It means so much to our family in this time of tremendous loss.

In October of 2021, Mark Fedorczyk (our beloved husband, father, brother, friend, and coach) learned he had a condition most commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease and medically termed ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Mark was only 60 years old.

Simply put, ALS is a progressive disease that causes muscle tissue death and subsequent increasing paralysis. Eventually, ALS patients lose the ability to swallow, breathe and move. The person's mind, however, usually remains unaffected so (s)he is acutely aware of everything. This disease is very rare; at any given time, there are only 30,000 people living with it in the United States. ALS is always fatal and patients typically live for 2 to 5 years after diagnosis. There currently is no cure for ALS.

Mark’s Journey:

Unbeknownst to Mark, his battle began in the fall of 2020 when he started to lose mobility in his arm. Even with its progression, Mark worked as a floor installer as he did for over 30 years. Mark loved his job and while it was physically demanding, it was rewarding seeing his clients’ faces after a job well done. Mark prided himself in his work creating beautiful and artistic floors all around the tristate area, including many of the floors that students see every day at Rutgers and in famous buildings in NYC. In the spring of 2021, Mark unfortunately had to retire from working, leaving his loving wife Annemarie as the sole provider for the family.

Outside of work, Mark’s passion was baseball. Despite playing ball all his life, he truly fell in love with the sport when he started coaching and maintaining the fields that his sons and their friends played on. From PAL tee-ball to travel 18u, Mark coached his oldest son Chris all around the tristate area for over 14 years. When his son and his friends moved up to the 60-90 foot field in middle school, Mark began tending to the field. Over the years, the field transformed from a weedy patch to a perfectly trimmed diamond with new benches and bleachers. The remarkable thing about Mark was after his players retired he never stopped maintaining the field and even began hosting tournaments for the next generation. Mark continued this for the next 6 years, creating priceless memories for players and their families. He was well-known in the community for playing music between innings, using his Chevy Suburban to drag the field, and honoring veterans and first responders during holiday tournaments. When at the field, Mark fought the progression of the disease the hardest.

Unfortunately, Mark succumbed to his battle with ALS earlier this week. He passed peacefully in his sleep on August 19th, 2022 listening to classic rock music surrounded by family.

No matter how devastating the disease is, Mark and his family do not want it to be the only thing he is remembered for. If you’ve had the pleasure to get to know him, you’ll appreciate his view of the situation: “It’s funny that the baseball guy, gets the baseball disease.” While there is nothing funny about ALS itself, this is just a reminder that the disease would never be able to touch his mind, heart, humor, and love for baseball. Like the great Lou Gehrig, Mark Fedorczyk is great in his own right as a local celebrity who has raised thousands of dollars for national charities such as St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Tunnels for Towers, and for local heroes who served in the armed forces. While Lou’s name is synonymous with the disease, Mark is being honored similarly. The field he loved and dedicated countless hours to will house a commemorative plaque in his honor.

Mark’s Services:

Wake: Wednesday, August 24th at Lehrer-Gibilisco Funeral Home in Rahway, NJ from 4-8 PM

Funeral: Thursday, August 25th at Divine Mercy Church (formerly St. Mary’s) in Rahway, NJ at 10 AM

Field Commemoration: Saturday, August 27th at Madison Avenue Park in Rahway, NJ at 12 PM

We would be honored to receive any gift amount, large or small, which you can contribute to the Fedorczyk family to alleviate financial responsibilities during this difficult time. If you have any questions at all, please send us an email using the above GoFundMe email link.

With gratitude,

Mark’s Loving Family & Friends