SARATOGA SPRINGS — Mark William Barrick, 54, passed away peacefully August 11.
Mark was born on July 12, 1960 in El Dorado, Kansas, but grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After graduating from college, Mark moved to Texas to begin his career in engineering.
Mark was blessed with his loving wife, Suzanne. Together they accomplished one of their greatest achievements—their daughter, Madison. He was devoted to his wife and daughter in a manner all of us should try to learn from and emulate. He was so proud of his relationships with his wife and daughter.
Mark lived his life in a purposeful, disciplined manner. He was committed to being the very best father, husband, brother, son, friend and business competitor that he could possibly be. More than anything, Mark was a faithful Christian and grew his faith through his dedication to the Catholic Church. He was not a boastful or demonstrative man in this regard. He let the life that he lived speak for itself. He was, simply put, the type of man we all want to be.
Mark was a longtime, successful executive in the semiconductor industry. He had a strong work ethic he inherited from his mom and dad. His career got a significant early launch as he joined the seminal consortium, Sematech; a national initiative birthed in Austin, Texas.
Mark was a dedicated employee and boss who enjoyed an amazing career that included international assignments and general manager roles with highly respected semiconductor companies including Texas Instruments, Motorola, Lam Research and most recently, ASML, an international firm headquartered out of the Netherlands. This gave him an opportunity to work with colleagues in Albany, New York as well as Europe and the Far East. Mark was respected at work for his analytical but thoughtful manner of supporting his team members, customers and suppliers. He took his job responsibilities very seriously, yet still found time to have fun and build strong friendships.
Mark also had a passion and commitment to live an adventurous life. He loved skydiving, bull riding, scuba diving, long distance cycling, water and snow skiing and even tough mudder competitions. He was a great friend to so many and the way he shared his love of life with others was endearing— and inspiring. Mark had a quiet, confident manner about him that people liked and respected.
One of Mark’s strongest values was education. In that regard, he pursued and received a Bachelors and Masters in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University. To help him grow as an executive, he later earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Baylor University. Mark loved to learn! He was a voracious reader with a keen intellect and a curious mind. He wanted to always learn and grow.
Mark is survived by his wife, Suzanne Barrick; daughter, Madison Barrick; his parents, W. Ray and Mary Barrick of Alvin, Texas; mother and father-in-law, Mr. Kenneth and Irene Aldrich of Austin, Texas; sisters: Stacey Klassen and husband Bob of Seattle; Susan Brady and husband, Don, and their two daughters, Erin and Lainey, of Houston, and Cindy Dauber and her son, Tyler, of Nashville; brother, Walter Barrick and wife, Leigh of Sugar Land, Texas, and their children, Emily Laviolette and Paige Barrick of Houston; and son, Seth Barrick, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Funeral services were held Monday, August 18, 2014, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Austin, Texas.
A Memorial Mass for Mark will be celebrated on Saturday, September 20, 2014, at 1:00pm, at St. Clement’s Church, 231 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs, NY.
Arrangements are under the direction of the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes of 628 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs 584-5373.
In lieu of sending flowers, the family suggests honoring Mark by donating to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com.
