Mark Richard Kellogg
"A hell of a nice guy"

Mark Richard Kellogg of Traverse City passed away peacefully at Munson Medical Center on November 2, 2023.

He was born on August 22, 1951 in Pontiac to the late Richard and Barbara Kellogg and he was raised in Birmingham. He attended school in Birmingham and later at the Coleman School in Detroit. Mark always spoke fondly and frequently of his younger years. His parents, both of whom were creative and talented, recognized Mark's special abilities and provided a nurturing upbringing for Mark that included educational opportunities, travel experiences, and encouragement and support for him to develop a life of independence.

Upon his dad's retirement, as an engineer for General Motors, Mark's family, which included his younger brother Kurt (currently of Portland, OR), moved to Copper Country in the Upper Peninsula for about 5 years before establishing their home in Traverse City.

With Mark's best interest at heart, his wise parents searched out two premier Non-Profit Organizations (late 70's & early 80's) to expand Mark's education opportunities and promote his independence: Grand Traverse Industries (GTI) which was developed under the direction, dedication and commitment of Steve Purdue and the Community Living Center (CLC) now known as Brickways which was developed through the love and passion of parents of adult children with special needs, and led by the resourceful MaryJean Brick. BOTH of these organizations had an army of talented, forward thinking and dedicated individuals who served as board members and volunteered countless hours towards the successful mission of each organization.

At GTI, Mark was fortunate to receive job training and long-term employment and he continued to work until just weeks prior to his passing. He was extremely proud that his current job involved working with components for TESLA cars. Mark was especially fortunate to have Corinna Rassmussen as his Program Manager at GTI. She appreciated his quirky personality and provided support and encouragement in a manner that greatly enhanced the last 11 years of his career.

At Brickways, Mark learned and honed skills needed for living independently. Such things as menu planning, grocery shopping, cooking, budgeting, house cleaning and personal grooming and laundry skills. The training Brickways provided led to a variety of semi-independent living situations and ultimately culminated with Mark living independently in his own apartment for about the last 9 years. Mark cherished having his own apartment. He enjoyed (frequently!) rearranging his living room and bedroom furniture and adorning his walls with collages he would create from photos of friends and family and pictures he would clip from magazines, newspapers, and advertisements. They were masterpieces! Mark made many dozens of these over the years, often recycling photos & incorporating them into new pieces of art. Most of these collages were large scale (3'X4' was not uncommon) and it was fascinating to see how he created each and every one of them and also a bit of a bummer to realize he had dismantled one masterpiece only to use bits and pieces of it for the next! A primary source for his collages were photos from trips, holidays, and birthday celebrations he shared with his special friend and Guardian, Christine Ibbotson. He affectionately referred to her as his "substitute mother".

Mark's intellectual curiosity was truly fascinating. He would read the dictionary then explain not only the definition of the words but also the root of the word and how other words corresponded to it. Mark's interest and knowledge about cars and planes was also fascinating and he had an uncanny knack for noticing and remembering details. Mark had a large collection of albums and enjoyed listening to his music – mostly big band era or sound tracks from movies. Mark enjoyed working puzzles with a local flare, the latest one being a scene of the Sleeping Bear Dunes. He liked taking walks when he deemed the weather to be good and often walked in the mall during the winter months. Mark was pleased with every opportunity to eat out at restaurants and fast-food joints. Some of his favorite foods were Culver's, KFC, Arby's, and Jet's Pizza except when it came to his birthday, when he felt it was necessary to celebrate with a steak dinner. Mark loved the Traverse City Downtown District including all the festivals, street sales, and Friday Night Live events.

Mark was fortunate to be surrounded by amazing people who loved him and celebrated his unique and creative ways of thinking. He helped us to see the world in a different light with a different slant. Thank you, Mark! As your dad used to tell you, and you loved hearing, "You're a hell of a nice guy!"

Interment was private at Memorial Gardens. A memorial service will be held at GTI on November 16, 2023 at 1:30 pm.
Anyone wishing to honor Mark with a memorial contribution is encouraged to donate to one of the following 501c3 non-profit organizations: Grand Traverse Industries, 2170 Traverse Field Drive, Traverse City, MI 49686 (on-line at Grand Traverse Industries website) or to Brickways Development Fund, 935 Barlow, Traverse City 49686.