For the love of Mark

When Melissa Weis lost sight of her son, Mark, during a Hawaiian vacation she naturally panicked.

That is until she spotted Mark with 10 geckos on his chest and arms teaching a small crowd that had gathered all he knew about the small lizards.

A longtime nature-lover, Mark possessed a gentleness that drew both animals and people to him, Weis said.

"We always thought as Mark got older, somewhere down the line, whether with children or animals or both, in some way he was going to make a difference," she said. "He just had something special."

Mark died Aug. 23 at the age of 13, just a month after being diagnosed with bone cancer. While fighting the disease, he contracted a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection, also known as MRSA, which led to his death.

Scullen Middle School, where he would have been in eighth grade, now is finding ways to keep his memory alive.

Friends and family gathered Friday to plant a tree in Mark's honor, and the school's parent organization will purchase library books for the school that he would have enjoyed.

Geena Mancuso, a classmate of Mark's who grew up across the street from him, said she was happy to see the tree planted for Mark so that others would know what a good person he was.

"I could talk to him about anything and he would listen," Geena said.

The school also has collected three van-loads of supplies for the Ronald McDonald House, where the Weis family stayed during Mark's illness. Friends and family have donated roughly $10,000 to the charity in Mark's name.

"It's hard for everyone, including the kids, but they've done such a nice job in honoring him," Weis said.

"It is nice that so many people have responded in so many different ways, and the whole family just … I know we might have tears when it's going on, but we really do appreciate it."

Paul Gamboa, who taught Mark in third grade at White Eagle Elementary and has stayed close to the family, described Mark as goofy -- in a good way.

"I mean that as lovingly as possible," Gamboa said. "He had a sense of humor about him, and his mind was always working and … he had a wonderful sense of timing, when to use it and when not to."

It's a quality Mark managed to keep even while in the hospital, once causing nurses to rush into the room to check on him only to find out he had been holding his breath to see how fast they'd come.

Mark was also an avid athlete, active in football, baseball, wrestling, golf and fishing.

"He was a very athletic person, a very nice guy," said Rikesh Patel, a freshman at Neuqua Valley High School and longtime friend. "He always had a smile on his face."

But Gamboa said Mark's love of animals outweighed even his love of sports. He recalls baby-sitting for Mark, who once named the chipmunks overtaking the family's backyard and would disappear for hours on end to watch Animal Planet, absorbing it like a sponge.

"I wish all my students had the love of learning he had," Gamboa said, "and the curiosity."

Donations to the Ronald McDonald House can be sent to 845 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL 60637. For information, visit rmhccni.org.