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Mark J. Taube

Mark J. Taube, 60, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, surrounded by friends and family at Banner University Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona, after a long and courageous battle with lung cancer. As a non-smoking and athletic adult, Mark demonstrated remarkable grit by steadfastly refusing to allow the disease to define his remaining time on earth — continuing to work, care for his sons, take walks and socialize with friends.

Mark was born in Rome, New York, the son of Dorothy C. Taube and the late Harry E. Taube. He grew up in the Lake Delta community north of Rome, moving to Lake Placid in his teens. He was an avid sportsman who enjoyed the outdoors and all team sports, but had a particular passion for hockey, including playing for Rome youth programs, Lake Placid High, Union College and adult hockey leagues. He also coached youth soccer in the Tucson area and recruited his friends to play lacrosse. Even through his ill health, Mark remained dedicated to his friends’ exercise and well-being.

Trained as a software engineer, Mark went to work for Raytheon early in his career, initially in the Boston area, later transferring to Tucson. At the time of his death, Mark had been with Raytheon for more than 30 years, working as a senior engineer on software projects.

Family was very important to Mark, who was married for 16 years to Andrea Areopagita Taube and had two sons, Jamie and Lucas. Although their marriage ended in divorce, they set their differences aside to care for their sons, including Lucas’ autism, and grew particularly close during the last year of Mark’s illness.

Mark was very proud of both his sons’ accomplishments, especially Jamie’s recent graduation as valedictorian of Sonoran Science Academy’s Class of 2018 and his enrollment as an Honors student at the University of Arizona Honors College.

Mark is survived by his sons, Jamie and Lucas Taube and their mother Andrea, all of Tucson, Arizona; his mother Dorothy Taube and sister Joanne (David) Williams of Lake Placid; his sister Aimee (Gordon) McKane of Latham; his brothers Richard Taube of Woburn, Massachusetts, Thomas (Aliya) Taube of Stillwater, Minnesota, Paul (Sylvia) Taube of The Woodlands, Texas, and Peter (Jeanmarie) Taube of Marco Island, Florida; niece Annette Taube; and nephews John and Chris Williams, and Daniel, Michael, Phillip and Jack Taube. He is predeceased by his nephew Nicholas Taube.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral Mass and memorial of Mark’s life on Friday, Aug. 31 at 3:30 p.m. at Our Lady of the Desert Church, located in the Redemptorist Renewal Center, 7101 W. Picture Rocks Road, Tucson, AZ 85743. A burial service for his cremated remains is planned for Lake Placid in May 2019. Memorial donations in memory of Mark may be made to the Redemptorist Society of Arizona, 7101 W. Picture Rocks Road, Tucson, AZ 85743, or to Arizona Public Media, P.O. Box 210067, Tucson, AZ 85721.