Obituary of Mark Waghorne

WAGHORNE, Mark Mark passed away on March 25, 2025. Married to his beloved wife, Penny, for 45 years, he was "Uncle Mark" to Candace, Curtis, Megan, David, and all the children in his beautiful extended village of family and friends in the Kawartha Lakes and Newmarket. He will also be deeply missed by his sister, Lynn (Andy), Penny’s sister, Pam (Neil), and his adored puppy babies, Farley and Stella. We take comfort in knowing he is reunited with their predecessors, Doogan and Maj, as well as his best friend, Ross. A talented athlete and student, Mark’s journey led him to Queen’s University, where he played varsity football. Following in his father Murray’s footsteps, he became an engineer, dedicating over three decades to Ontario Power Generation before taking early retirement. Mark and Penny built a beautiful home on Sturgeon Lake, where they shared many happy and magical moments with family and friends. Mark did not live life as a dress rehearsal—everything he did was to the best of his ability and to the highest standard. A reserved, proud, and brilliant man, he had an extraordinary range of skills and interests. He was a member of the Canadian National Skydiving team, a passionate car and motorcycle enthusiast, and an accomplished baker whose Christmas treats were legendary—he even managed to improve on his mother Betty’s famous butter tarts, crescent cookies, and Nanaimo bars. In retirement, he took up the intricate art of hitching horsehair to craft Navajo-inspired belts, a painstaking feat that suited his inclination to master seemingly impossible tasks. A deep lover of music, Mark played the bagpipes and the guitar and could always be counted on to know every lyric, artist, and release date of most songs before 1980. No one could pun like Mark, and even in this sad time, the urge to honor him with wordplay reminds us how much we wish he were here to join in. Mark found joy in life’s simple pleasures, whether perfecting a recipe, restoring a classic car, or spending a day on the golf course with his dearest friends—always ready with a tip, a joke, or a perfectly timed one-liner. We will miss and love him always. Arrangements have been entrusted to CREMATION CARE. At this time, there will be no service or memorial held. In lieu of flowers or cards, donations in Mark’s name can be made to the Canadian Association of Addiction and Mental Health at https://give.camh.ca.