This obituary was submitted by Ezma Henry Hanschka.
A public Celebration of Life will take place on Sunday, Sept 28th, 2 p.m. at Mazama Lodge. Please let Ezma know (ehanschka@mac.com) if you plan on attending.
Mark is survived by his wife of 27 years, Ezma Henry Hanschka, along with his sister Carol H Traenkle (Jeff) of Wayland and Oak Bluffs, MA. Children include Stephen Hanschka (Buffy Trott) of Portland, OR, Whitney Hanschka (Nancy Tutko) of Martha's Vineyard, MA, Laura Hanschka (James Suvier) of Scottsdale, AZ, Mark Lewis (Shannen Chapman) of Corvallis, Teri Lewis (Mike Lewis) of Corvallis, Chris Hanschka (Stephenie Thang) of Sammamish, WA, Matt Souther (Bonni Stover) of Portland, OR, Gretchen Souther Ranger (Tim Ranger) of Springfield, OR, and ten beautiful grandchildren.
Mark was preceded in death by his parents, Herbert L Hanschka, and Grove T Hanschka of Montclair, New Jersey. His growing up years were spent in Montclair, where he graduated Valedictorian from Montclair Academy, 1951, having also received honors for excellence in math & science. As well as being editor-in-chief of the school's newspaper, he became an accomplished piano player, an excellent tennis player, and on his way to becoming fluent in French and German (& later Spanish) which gave him great joy in conversing with the locals on many of his travel adventures. When he arrived in Hungary however, he gave up on trying to learn Hungarian.
Mark graduated from Amherst College, MA, 1955, again with honors. While there he participated in squash, swim team, and was captain of the tennis team. Following a first trip abroad in 1954, seeing Europe still ravaged from war, he wrote, "I came home a much more mature young man, able to appreciate my good fortune, see my country with different eyes, and make better decisions about managing my life." He continued his interest in global conditions everywhere, human population explosions affecting quality of life for both rich and poor, their effect on environmental health for all future generations, and the political complexity of each of these issues. His passion and concern never ceased to motivate his many contributions of time, energy, & philanthropy, touching many people's lives in many different ways.
After college, Mark spent a year at Harvard Law School (a less than best fit he would say), then a year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology before entering Harvard Medical School, graduating in 1961. Upon coming out West to scout residency programs with a fellow classmate, he climbed Long's Peak in CO, and then Mt. Hood in Oregon. Having discovered the mountains, he chose, and was accepted to do his residency at Multnomah County Hospital which was then part of the University of Oregon Medical School. With a 4-month rotation in Oahu, HI, Mark fell in love with the tropical paradise of the Hawaiian Islands, ultimately returning numerous times for exploration & relaxation. His decision to become an OBGYN and practice 29 years at Kaiser Permanente allowed him to stay in Oregon, climb all sixteen major NW peaks (award #350) as a long time member of Mazamas, and do the work he most loved, seeing that women get the best health education to make their own private decisions, assuring that every child is a wanted child. Well ahead of the curve, he was also a passionate advocate for 'fathers in the delivery room' influencing Kaiser Permanente to be a leader with this policy.
Both Mark & Ezma were active Portland Mazamas, enjoying many hiking, backpacking, mtn climbing, and skiing adventures together. Mark and Ezma along with Tamim Kaswari led a Mazama two week hiking trip to Kauai in 2000, & Mark & Ezma led a 1997 hiking outing on the Rogue River, as well as participated in numerous outings over the years. As long time Mazama Vera Dafoe shared, "I felt heartbroken when I learned that Mark was gone, permanently gone. So I started thinking about times we have been out there climbing together. The highest one was Mt. Whitney. We probably couldn't have summited that one if we hadn't already been living at altitude for a week or two. There were various lower mountains in the Washington Cascades. Darn near every time on the way down from a climb, Mark would find a lake or creek to dip into. Even on Whitney with our 22-mile one-day hike, you guys added more mileage to it by detouring to a small pond for a dip. Mark was a good man, quiet, thoughtful, intelligent. He was kind. I admired the post-retirement volunteering he did at a clinic in Eugene, driving from Sunriver several times a month. I considered him to be my friend. A good friend. I am so sorry he is gone."
Throughout his lifetime, Mark continued to enjoy playing and listening to classical music, from the Oregon Symphony to the Sunriver Music Festival, and many others. His life-long aviation interests took Mark and Ezma on a wonderful excursion across the US, leaving from Sunriver, in his small Grumman Cheetah in June 2001, visiting friends & family along the way. They also shared a love of travel, continuing their exposure to other cultures, people and environments. Mark was an avid runner, running several marathons in Portland and Boston, where his best time was a very respectable 3:13. Mark and Ezma moved to Sunriver in 1998 upon Mark's retirement. He was enamored with the beauty and bike paths for sure, eventually outfitting his bicycle with spiked snow tires so he could continue to ride most of the winter. He made it a point to visit with his favorite people at Discover Sunriver, The SR Music Festival staff, the haircutting gals in the village, SROA staff, Mike's Tires team, or whomever he might encounter on his daily run to the post office. He truly loved the congenial community and activities of Sunriver, participating in the men's club, the monthly potlucks, the SR music festival, the Nature Center & Observatory activities, etc.
He enjoyed leading hikes now and again for whomever he could entice to explore the environs of central Oregon. While both Mark & Ezma continued their outdoor activities with other "transplanted to central Oregon" Mazamas, he was particularly proud of his 13 ski runs from the summit of Mt Bachelor on July 4, 2012, when the mountain had enough snow pack to be open for that holiday. If he wasn't on his daily run, his daily bike ride, or doing something good for someone somewhere, he still enjoyed playing piano, and when he & Ezma downsized a few years ago, he decided he would donate his lovely baby grand piano to the homeowners side of SHARC to be enjoyed by many for years to come.
Mark's vitality and generous spirit will be greatly missed by his large family and friends. As one of his daughters-in-law put it so beautifully: "We'll always remember you as the stoic dad who cried on news of our engagement, the grandpa who could always be counted on for a stash of chocolate milk, the decimator of leftovers, runner in faded blue corduroy, summit-er of snowy peaks, raver of even semi-home-cooked meals, supporter of WWF and Sierra Club, teller of stories, instigator of outdoor adventures, and loving dad for whom family wasn't founded solely on DNA. Rest in peace, g'pa Mark. We hope the view is stunning from your final summit." The family had a private graveside service at Riverview Cemetery in Portland. Memorial contributions in his name could be made to Planned Parenthood, Portland Mazamas, Sunriver Nature Center & Oregon Observatory, Sunriver Music Festival, Nature Conservancy or any other favorite environmental organization of your choosing.
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