Mark was born in Providence, Rhode Island on September 27th, 1923, to Kathleen and Mark Farnum Sr. Mark Sr. was an All-American football player on the Brown University Rose Bowl team of 1915.
Mark graduated from La Salle Academy and then for 2 years, attended Rhode Island State College, which is, today, the University of Rhode Island. He majored in engineering before volunteering for the Army Air Force Cadet program. He graduated as a pilot on the 12th of March 1944. Mark flew over 1000 hours in B-24 aircraft as an instructor and mission pilot during World War II. He also flew B-17, B-25, C-47 and was a B-24 aircraft squadron commander. After the war, Mark graduated with honors from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He was then recruited by the Air Force to enroll in a study comparison program to evaluate the competitiveness between the education received at the Air Force Institute of Technology and other higher- level institutions. Mark was given the option of enrolling in his college of choice and, taking into his love of football, he chose a University that had an excellent football team. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan with high distinction.
Mark was a pioneer in many Air Force programs. He was a team member of highly classified programs including the Discoverer and the Samos and Midas programs. He retired from the Air Force with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after 20 years of service. Mark joined the Apollo team at the Space and Information Division of North American Corporation and was a member of their successful B-1 proposal team before leaving to join the Litton Ingals Ship Building Organization. He became the Program Manager for the Spruance destroyer program and was involved in the delivery of over 75 combat ships to the U.S. and Israeli navies. These ships included destroyers, cruisers, LHA & LHD (Landing Helicopter Assault) marine carriers and the reactivation of the battleships USS Iowa and the USS Wisconsin. He retired after 23 years as Senior Vice-President for Program Management. Mark loved sports, and he played lots of golf and enjoyed watching his favorite teams: Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins and the Michigan Wolverines, as well as other sport programs on television, for hours every day.
Mark loved his family and was dedicated to his beautiful wife of 76 years, Cecelia. He met Cecelia on a blind date and was married two months later. They enjoyed a happy, loving marriage. He was extremely proud of his children for whom he had a deep love. His medical doctor sons, Stephen and Mark, his daughters, college graduate nurse Marceil and loveable college graduate, Janet were so important to him. Mark has six grandchildren: Stephanie (Lumb), Kristina (Hohne), Michelle (Sarriedine), Nicole ( Farnum) Daniela (Fishman), Alessandra (Farnum) and six great- grandchildren: Matilda, Katherine, Jameson, Ayman, Rosie and Luca. Mark enjoyed his annual trips back to his hometown of Georgiaville, RI and visits with his now deceased sister, Alice Farnum- Fogarty and T. Frank Fogarty’s family: The late Thomas Fogarty, John Fogarty, Jane A’Hearn, Kathleen Fogarty-Church, Maureen LaGreca, Joanne Carey, Dorothy Fogarty and all their spouses and children who he loved, as well and his old-time friends Bea Latham and her daughter Joan Hilton. His all time, everywhere-favorite restaurant, Twin Oaks, was an always, multiple visit, must when in Rhode Island.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday May 4th at 10am in St. Michael’s Church, 80 Farnum Pike, Smithfield, RI. Mark will be interred in the family plot at the Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, RI. PLEASE no flowers or donations, “JUST A PRAYER FOR A SMOOTH, HAPPY LANDING