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MARK DAVID WILKE, loving father, husband, and brother, passed away July 14, 2010 after an 11 year battle with cancer. He was born December 12, 1950 in Buffalo, NY to Arthur W. and Virginia M. Wilke. He moved to North Tonawanda, NY at age one where he grew up and remained until attending college. He attended North Tonawanda High School where he lettered in soccer and tennis. He attended the U. of New York at Stony Brook where he obtained a BS in 1973, majoring in physics and math. After working for a year in the rolling mill section of Roblin Steel, Mark attended the U. of Colorado at Boulder where he obtained an MS in physics in 1976. He later completed his PhD at the U. of Colorado in plasma physics in 1981 after working on his thesis at Los Alamos National Laboratory under a Northwest Colleges and Universities for Science (NORCUS) fellowship. Mark was then hired by Los Alamos National Laboratory where he worked for 30 years until his death. While attending college, Mark worked at a number of summer jobs in several factories and worked one summer on the resurvey of the Erie Barge Canal. During his life, at various times, and usually through the activities of his children, Mark had keen interests in a variety of sports. These included skiing, tennis, fly fishing, and soccer. He coached or refereed in the Los Alamos Soccer League for many years. He was also the leader of Pack 22 for a few years and the assistant scout master for Troop 329. He is survived by his beloved wife of 16 years, Diane Marie Wilke; and their six children, Jason Wilke of Sandia Park, NM, Jonathon Wilke of Algodones, NM, Gregory Wilke of Salt Lake City, UT, Chad Wilke of Albuquerque, NM, Aaron Wysko of Getzville, NY, and Brian Wysko of North Tonawanda, NY; He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Alec, Abby, Skyla, Aidan, Ava, Steven, Alexander, Marnie, and Jocelyn. A rosary will be prayed on Monday, July 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. also at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos followed by a luncheon in the church hall. Burial will take place at a later date at Mount Olivet Cemetery in the Town of Tonawanda, NY. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service Hospice, P.O. Box 692 Los Alamos, N.M. 87544. The Wilke family has entrusted their loved one to DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory of the Espanola Valley. 505-662-2400 or www.devargasfuneral.com
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