Mark Allan Erwin

Mark Allan Erwin spent nearly 45 years on the road, working in the church directory business. Different territories, a lot of driving, a lot of meetings. He worked hard because he loved what he did and loved the people he did it with, those in his company and the pastors and congregations he worked alongside for decades. But his family and close friends knew there was more to it than that. The job was never really about the job. It was about what it let him do: bring churches together, help people find their way to each other and to God.

Mark always talked about how churches were changing. This added complexity to the job, made it harder to get churches to sign on. But he never stopped believing the free service his company offered was desperately needed. Colossians talks about hearts being knit together in love, believers bound not by proximity but by purpose, serving each other, carrying each other. That was the church Mark believed in, the one his work was meant to reach, one person at a time.

In his last months, he prayed the same question over and over: God, what's next? He knew the shape of the answer before he had the details. Growing up a pastor's son, Mark had a gift for connecting with people instantly. He could read a room, sense what someone was feeling before they said a word. That kind of discernment made people trust him right away. Mark wasn't going to preach like his father or lead worship like his brother. But he wanted his own place in that work: spreading God's word in a different way, outside a job that kept him on the road and away from his family.

Mark carried real struggles through his life, but he never stopped doing what was right. He was fiercely loyal to the people he loved. His generosity stretched to those he felt were deserving of more, and to those who lived life on the street. He was always there to give a hand up to anyone who needed it. And while he searched for what was next, he didn't recognize that he had already been living the kind of service he thought he still needed to find.

The love he had for his family never faltered, even those who couldn't take his love in at the time. His children, his grandchildren, they were always on his mind and in his prayers. Some of those relationships were harder and more distant than he wanted, and it grieved him. But he never stopped believing there was a way through. He kept praying. He knew he couldn't build that bridge alone, so he kept asking God to help him build it.

Being a grandfather was one of Mark’s greatest joys, and one of his greatest talents, among so many. His granddaughter, Amarra Mae, who proudly carries his initials, was his not-so-little-anymore “Boomie.” The two shared a truly special bond and were blessed with so much quality time together. Whether they were swimming in the pool he was so excited to surprise her with, playing together, laughing, or Mark was teaching her how to play pickleball, they were simply perfect together. He treasured every moment he spent as her Grand Pa Pa, and the love between them was unmistakable.

Mark truly was the best grandfather, and the best father, a little blonde girl could ever ask for. Just ask his daughter, who was, and always will be, endlessly proud to call him her dad.

Then there was Berne, his beloved dog he called Boo. When he returned home from long trips he would sit with her, entangled on the couch until her cries of joy subsided. When he left for the road again, he packed his suitcase in secret because once Boo knew he was leaving, she stayed between him and the front door. When he would shut the door behind him, she often spent days waiting there for his return.

He was married to Kim on November 22, 2025. He was happier than he’d ever been in his life, having found someone so much like him. They were a perfect match. Together they were looking toward retirement and were working on their bucket list. Their love for each other never wavered, and together they often talked about the what next, where next.

On the evening of August 20, Mark got his answer when he was suddenly called home to meet Jesus face to face.

It is through Mark's life and death that we see God at work. And while we mourn the loss of a great man who never asked for anything in return, he taught us everything. How to love unconditionally. How to work hard, love what you do, and pray.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Carl and Alice Erwin; cousins, David Brinegar and Brock Gant; brother-in-law Don Walter.

He is survived by his wife, Kimberly Erwin and her children Katelyn Johnson and Alyssa Calbert (Jared); children, Ellise Erwin, Taylor Erwin, and Morgan Erwin; grandchildren, Amarra, Carter, and Jayden.

He is also survived by his sister, Kathy Walter and brother, David Erwin (Becky); nieces Alyssa, Erin, Amanda, and Kristin and their families.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the Mark Erwin Memorial Fund.

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