You Light Up My Life: Mark Johnson

pics of Mark Johnson, one of my dearest friends, who died in 2014. Finding out he was on his death bed, I flew out to see him in New Mexico, but first stayed up all night recording some songs for him. "You Light Up My Life" is by Carole King, Mark's favorite singer. It fits our relationship.
Mark Dale Johnson, 56, of Albuquerque, died February 19. Mark was born to the late Charles Johnson, Sr., and Anita Johnson, June 10, 1957, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mark graduated from Bay City Central High in 1975 and received a BA in communication Arts from Michigan State University in 1979. He earned a BFA in Advertising Design from the Center for Creative Studies in 1981 and worked for nearly 15 years in advertising before earning an MA in Art Education from the University of New Mexico in 2000. Mark taught 5th grade at Susie Reyes Marmon Elementary in Albuquerque, where for many years he was the driving force behind the science fair, which has been renamed in his honor by the school.