My Friend "Chief" Mark Souders

1955 - 2011

I met Mark over 25 years ago when we both were a lot younger. He was working for Cedar Hammock FD, I was working for the City Of Bradenton FD. At his young age he was passionate about being a firefighter and it showed when ever I talked to him. He moved right up the ladder to the rank of Asst Chief. He was very bright and good at what he set out to do in the fire service. It was not unusual for him to stop by and visit me when I was Chief at Bradenton. He knew that I had a back ground in Fire Safety Codes. When he was Fire Marshal he would stop by and chat and it would soon come to surface what the"stop by" was all about. It would go like this, "hey Chief, what do you think this code really means"? We had some long discussions and we did not always agree, two hard headed men!

In 1997 I had the privilege to be sitting on the City Council of Bradenton when we hired Mark as the new chief in our city. I was so proud to cast my vote of approval for such a nice young and a friend. Mark took command right away of the ship and guided it to a better port. His technical knowledge was beyond anything we ever had in Bradenton. He steered this ship into a department that became Accredited Nationally. To his credit he became the President of the State of Florida Fire Chiefs Association. He also was selected Fire Chief of the year in the State of Florida.

Mark passed away on January 5th at home in his sleep. The cause of death seems to be heart related.This city and county will miss him very much. He was always ready to serve, and serve he did. "Mark" I know that you are at Station One up there and have met with all our friends who have gone before you. Tell them hello and tell them you are ready to serve again, this time with a new passion and a new CHIEF. Good by Mark and remember that you were the Best and I will miss you alot.

Jesus comforts our sorrow for the dead with a message of infinite hope: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction." Hosea 13:14. "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, . . . and have the keys of hell and of death." Revelation 1:18. "The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

My friend Mark is absent from the body and present with the Father. I am happy for him. But I am sad for me. My desire to want him with us makes me weep, although I know it is in his best interest to be with God. It is the pain I witness on the faces of those around me that makes me hurt, because I know they only feel the same way I feel: I miss him while he’s gone. There is no sting in death, and no victory in the grave, but the anguish of the bereaved is real and understandable. What would Jesus do? Even if Jesus knew he was going to raise our friend Mark from the grave, He would still weep. Brothers and sisters, allow me permission to weep, and give his family time to also.

God Bless all of you and may you be a Blessing to someone today.