On Sunday, February 16th, 2020, Mark Douglas Dunn left this world at the age of 64 to be with his Lord and Savior after a battle with cancer. For his last breath on this earth, Mark was fervently surrounded by his wife of over 44 years, six children and their spouses, and 22 grandchildren at his home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Mark's legacy and the impact of his life will live long after his departure from this earth.

Mark was born in Waynesboro, Virginia, on February 28th, 1955 to the late Gene Earl Dunn and Priscilla Jean Dunn. The son of a career U.S. Air Force airman, Mark moved around the country as a child, growing up in several different states. Mark often spoke fondly of his memories as a young teenager in Panama City, Florida, where he frequently got into mischief, surfed, and was a drummer in a professional rock band called The Mini Bruts. Mark's lifelong passion for music continued for the rest of his life, and Mark passed his musical talents to several of his children and grandchildren, who use these gifts to bring glory to God as singers, guitarists, and drummers.

While living in Prince George's County, Maryland, in 1972, Mark met 17-year-old Debbie Nicholson. Mark and Debbie married in 1975, and later that year, Mark joined the U.S. Air Force, where he worked as an electrical engineer supporting the advanced terrain-following radar systems of the F-111 fighter jet. After his time in the Air Force, Mark worked as a Department of Defense contractor designing electronics components for U.S. Government unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) projects. This work brought Mark, Debbie, and their four children at the time, to the Philippines, where Mark discovered his affinity for Filipino people and their culture, which remained an important part of his life until his passing.

As Mark's love for the Lord grew, he soon realized that his passion was for helping people. Leading people to grow in their Christian walk became more than just a passion, it was God's calling for Mark and he could no longer refute it. Mark left his lucrative career as an electrical engineer to pursue full-time service to the Lord, graduating from Washington Bible College in 1993. Mark frequently quoted Matthew 6:19-21, which says: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Mark was a living example of these words, and he left this earth after a life of working tirelessly to serve the Lord, laying up treasures in heaven unrivaled by any riches this world has to offer.

Proverbs 27:17 says: "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." These were words that Mark lived by, serving the Lord in many different capacities, across different organizations, directly impacting the lives of thousands of people. Please join family and friends for a celebration of Mark's life on Saturday, February 22nd at 11:30am. Capital Baptist Church, 3504 Gallows Rd, Annandale, VA 22003