On Saturday, December 29th, 2018, Mark Linford, loving husband and father of two children, passed away at the age of 43. His death was sudden and unexpected due to complications from the flu. Mark Linford was born July 10, 1975 in Whittier, California to James and Cheryl Linford. He was the third of five children. He spent his formative years in California, Utah, and Colorado. Mark attended Brigham Young University and served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Seattle, Washington. As an adult he settled in Salem, Utah.
Mark spent his childhood playing with friends, enjoying family traditions, and learning to work. Mark earned the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America at age 13. He graduated from Heritage High School in Littleton, Colorado. In the year 2000, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics at BYU, where he also met his future wife, Cherisse.
In November 1998, Mark married Cherisse Lyon in the Denver Temple. They enjoyed a very happy marriage. Some unique aspects of their relationship are that they earned the same degree from BYU, graduating less than a year apart. Their careers paralleled each other as they both worked for the same employers and often on the same projects. Some of their shared interests are playing the piano, hiking, and board games. Cherisse has spent half her life with Mark and is grateful for every day they had together.
Mark and Cherisse lived in Provo, Utah and Payson, Utah before designing and building their dream home in Salem, Utah. During this time, two beautiful daughters, Samantha and Kaitlyn, were born into their family. Mark loved being a dad. He was particular about their care and safety and taught them to “be gentle and pay attention.” He was very involved in their lives and often lovingly teased them. Each daughter loved their one-on-one weekend getaways to Salt Lake City with their dad.
Mark loved hiking in Zion National Park. Over the years, he took 40 trips to Zion, most of them with family members, but also as personal retreats. His brother, David, was his best friend and they loved seeing movies and playing board games or video games together. If you found yourself in a conversation with Mark, you would be treated to him sharing random and detailed facts on a variety of subjects. He was known for playing the piano for his own enjoyment, as well as serving for many years as the pianist for the church Primary. The Primary children and leaders all loved him. Through all facets of his life, his good humor and easy smile brightened the world around him.
Mark had an incredible work ethic. As a youth, he worked as a paperboy, then a busboy, and finally a grocery bagger. He worked a variety of jobs through college before eventually embarking on a career. He saw work as an enjoyable way of reaching financial goals. His intelligence and good humor served him well in the workforce. He enjoyed the people he worked with and developed true friendships with them. As a software engineer, he was an employee of the year at Novell. Mark spent the majority of his career working for TaxHawk, where he eventually became president of the company. He was known for his excellent decision making and charismatic leadership.
Mark is survived by his wife, Cherisse, and two daughters, Samantha and Kaitlyn. He is also survived by: his parents, James and Cheryl Linford; his siblings: David Linford, Jana (Chris) Keen, Laurie (Jeff) Whiting, and Mary (Jimmy) Griffitts; his grandfather, Jack Larsen; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles and in-laws.
A funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 11 am at the Mt. Loafer Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1129 S 250 W, Salem, UT 84653. A viewing will be held on Friday, January 4, 2019 from 6-8 pm at the Walker Funeral Home, 187 S. Main, Spanish Fork, UT 84660. A viewing will also be held prior to the service from 9:45–10:45 am at the church. Interment will be at the Salem City Cemetery, 965 South 140 East, Salem, UT 84653.
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