Mark McNally had great appreciation for life and love
Saturday, May 26, 2007 10:37 PM PDT
By Leslie Slape
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E-mail this articleMark McNally's sunny personality was reflected in his choice of room decor.
One wall of his bedroom was painted red, with the Golden Arches in the center. His bedspread was ketchup red and his pillowcase was mustard yellow.
"He was especially fond of McDonald's," said his sister, Glenette Parker of Longview.
Her brother "was very entertaining," she said. "He made us laugh with his little antics."
Most of all, he showed his family how to appreciate life, she said.
McNally, who had Down syndrome, was born July 23, 1954, in Longview. At the time of his birth, people born with Down syndrome were not expected to live past their teens.
He died May 21, 2007, at age 52.
"We had him a lot longer than we thought we would," his sister said.
His favorites were no secret. As a boy, he lived almost exclusively on peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches, she said. And he was "mad about Snickers."
He was also "a neatnik," Parker said fondly. "He folded his dirty clothes before he put them in the hamper."
When he was young, he played basketball, and he later played on the softball and soccer teams, all with the Special Olympics. But his favorite sport was bowling, his sister said.
"He was a real bowling fanatic," she said. She also bought him videotapes of professional wrestling, another favorite.
"He always loved to hold babies," Parker said. "But we had to stay right there with him. You never knew when he would get done and drop them on the floor."
But standing above all other favorites was his mother, Freida McNally of Longview. When he saw a car or anything that he liked, he always announced he was getting it for his mom, now 91, Parker said.
"He went to visit his mom every Sunday," Parker said. "It was the highlight of her week."
McNally was one of the original residents of Cottonwood Lodge, a group home for people with developmental disabilities. He lived there for 28 years until it closed in 2002. At the time of his death, he was living at Outward Bound, a Kelso group home.
He loved his family, but they had to tease the words out of him, Parker said.
"We'd say, 'Just tell me you love me,' and he'd laugh," she said.
In addition to his mother and sister, he leaves two brothers, Gene McNally of Kelso and Kevin McNally of Longview; many nieces and nephews; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.
Preceding him in death were his father, Glen McNally; two sisters; aunts and cousins.
One of his nieces, Trisha Parker, wrote this tribute:
"Mark McNally was one of the most precious gifts that entered this world. If you were one of the fortunate people that got to take part in his life, you know that he taught the true meaning of love and kindness. He will truly be missed. This is not the end. He will be waiting on the other side to meet those who loved him and with him will be our loved ones."
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