MARK EDWARD NOBREGA

Mark Nobrega - husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend - ascended peacefully into the arms of God on October 31st while at home and immersed in the love of his wife Teresa, sons Sam and Jake, and their soulmates Julie and Heather.

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When Mark was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, he was informed the average life expectancy was three years.  Driven by his desire to be with his wife and watch their boys grow up, Mark spent years enduring intense chemotherapy and radiation - and produced medical miracle after miracle.

 

However, he was far more than a man who lived with cancer for 15 years.

 

Mark was the son of Frank and Dorothy Nobrega and had four brothers (Mike, Greg, Paul, & Chris) and a sister (Mary).  It was a crowded house at times, yet it was never boring.  He loved his family intensely and remained close to them for his entire life. Mark was a proud graduate of Rockhurst High School and Kansas State University.

 

Mark was the leader of Central Solutions, Inc., where he worked with his four brothers, three nephews, and - to his absolute delight - both his sons.  A razor-sharp mind and unrelenting work ethic, Mark had a gift of seeing the holistic view of their industry and guided the company to remarkable growth - all while honoring the legacy established by his father and grandfather.

 

Mark was unquestionably the best athlete of his family, playing soccer long before soccer was cool.  Nicknamed "Freight Train" because of his intense and overpowering style, Mark won three Big 8 Championships while playing for his beloved Kansas State Wildcats.  Years later, Mark could STILL kick the tail of anyone else in the family during their frequent spontaneous tennis matches - even while going through treatment.

 

Mark knew the moment he met Teresa that she was special.  His siblings remember Mark sharing her photo with them, smiling ear-to-ear when talking about how incredible she was.  Mark was a man who loved his sons thoroughly and completely, and fatherhood was most definitely his superpower.  Today, his boys are gifted with his tender heart, fierce loyalty, and deep authenticity.

 

Mark loved adventure, for it nourished his soul. Fishing his favorite Montana rivers, sailing across wide-open oceans, reading novels (at least one a week), enjoying good single malt scotch, embracing all things Portugal, and opening his home to everyone. Mark could also star-navigate, make music pour forth from a guitar or piano, play bad-ass and legendary ping-pong matches, cast a fly rod like nobody else, and catch copious amounts of trout.

 

He was a constant source of stupid dad jokes, loved jigsaw puzzles, family game/movie nights, and dirty dancing with his bride.  Mark would send inspirational quotes nearly every day and music fed his soul.  He was contemplative, highly intellectual, financially astute, and truly lived in alignment with his heart.

 

Mark never lived a "battle" in the true sense of that word.  He fought cancer with a meditative spirit for 15 years.  He came from love, simplicity, wisdom, gratitude, and joy.  Never for a moment was fear permitted to live within him, and cancer simply does not thrive in that kind of environment.

 

He surrendered to exhaustion.  His heartache for the heartache he sensed within Teresa, Sam, and Jake was eventually more than he could bear.  Mark finally asked permission to lay down the battle weapons and just let his family love on him, as if the disease never existed.  His last few weeks were restorative and focused on love and family.  He was happy and not in pain, and rested until the early morning hours of October 31st when he rose again to become our protector - this time with wings.

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Left to honor Mark's memory and help carry on his legacy are his wife Teresa (Greggs) Nobrega, sons Sam & Jake, their soul mates Julie & Heather, brothers Mike (Diane) Nobrega, Paul (Beverly) Nobrega, Chris (Shannon) Nobrega, sister Mary (Nobrega) Tyler, sister-in-law Anita (Greggs) Perez, numerous nieces & nephews - all of whom adored their Uncle Mark, countless cousins, and thousands of friends accumulated over a lifetime of escapades.

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His Light Remains.