MARK MICHAEL RICOTTONE
Our son, our brother, our grandson, our friend and caring soul! MARK’S DEATH WAS ACCIDENTAL!
Not all of you know his story and none of us will ever know completely what was in that intelligent mind.
He came into the world too fast and had to spend his first few hours of life in an incubator.
He grew beautifully different…Mark wanted to be there for everyone.
When we walked past the first homeless person he saw, I felt a sudden yank on my arm and as I looked at a wide-eyed Mark, he turned to me and asked, “Shouldn’t we help him, Dad?”
His logic sometimes perplexed us all; his slow pace often frustrated us. But his gaming skills beat us all…chess, Monopoly, Call of Duty, poker…he was practically unbeatable! His classic one liners that made sense only to him… ‘That plane is scratching the sky’, ‘Don’t put your eye on the end of my stick’, ‘I’m not going outside, I just ate a banana!’…and many more.
MARK FINALLY PLAYED A GAME HE COULDN’T WIN - although he tried hard. In search for relief from pain and anxiety, he found a deadly drug called FENTANYL.
In weeks, it overcame him - and all the tough love, friendships, counselling and encouragement in the world could not stop the power of this drug. He was beaten - yet God gave him a second chance to play. He thought he’d won!
Four years ago, Mark endured the loss of several friends in a short period of time, including his best friend. His caring was so strong and deep that the fact he couldn’t help his friend led to anxiety and pain that would not stop. As time went on, the pain embedded itself deeper in his mind and it was REAL! He cried for counselling and help.
Steve appeared and never left him! He had a love-hate relationship with Steve (his back pillow).
And then an evil relationship introduced him to the world of hard drugs and deceit. The Mark we knew was quickly gone. Yet his brilliant mind fought back. He willingly went away for help and in weeks was back to the glowing, happy faced young man we knew before. He was even healthier and stronger.
Yet God did all this for him just so that we’d remember him at his best!
Reunited with family and friends at the cottage, we heard new one liners of reason that only Mark could come up with. Paying attention and caring for all around him like before. Moving around, healthy & even ripped! He went tubing…yes, Mark the man with the bad back went tubing!
A broken thumb was the result but stuck in an emergency waiting room for hours allowed me to hear what he’d learned, his new schedule and that he was making enthusiastic plans for his future.
Five beautiful days! If we’d only known we were saying goodbye!
Within hours of coming home, the devil inside overwhelmed him. He thought he was stronger and smarter.
Mark lost this game…it took his life!
We will now always remember him the way we loved him for years. This part was a blessing.
We’ve discovered more incredible things about his caring soul from all of you, his friends and family in the last few days. We will have a website setup soon that will allow those who cared to continue to share their wonderful memories.
We are so proud of our son!
And I promise you my son, THIS GAME IS NOT OVER! We will continue to play for you! Your family and friends will take the hurt that has been left inside each of us and turn it into a strength to fight this terrible drug called ‘Fentanyl’. A growing awareness! It will not be able to sneak up on others; it will have to play fair! Everyone we tell about you, may be another precious life saved. Spread the word!
WE WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!
Daddy, Mommy, Michael, Matthew, Melanie & Mitchell (The M Family)