I found you my love, as I begin my new journey

Dear Readers,
     Most of you may know this year has been filled with many challenges for me and my family, this new one is a real whopper, I must move from my home of nine years, one that I shared with Mark briefly during our final years together.  So saying this, I was thrilled to find this photo.  It is my very favorite of mine of the many I have of Mark as his expression is so happy and at peace.  My Mark, as I knew him, loved the water and in this photo, he was up North with friends a trip he took in the last ten years from now, one of who also took this shot, however because I didn't write the information down, the exacts of the photo's history, well the information is breaking down and all I really know is how much I like it.  Mark now sits on my desk, I can gaze back at Mark starring back at me, and I feel he and I can share our thoughts, though most of mine are spoken, he just sits there and smiles.
     Also, as such, I am down sizing.  I have given Irene Silbert most of Mark's collection of Plays and Erika Nadir most of his guitar sheet music and Jean's classical sheet music.  Erika also was kind enough to take those famous gigantic photo of Mark's Dad, Herb Voland and three lovely black & white large vintage shots of Jean when she was younger, like us.  Erika has contacted David Read (Dread to the rest of us) who now apparently lives back up in northern CA, and who has offered Dread one of the large Jean vintage photos of her; Dread and Jean formed a very special bond during the reign of his and Mark's friendship, Dread behaved like a true son to her so I am happy he may take one of these fabulous photos of Jean (will post later the shots I speak of, no time to be perfect today).  The shot of Herb was also one Dread took and it was quite large at 36" x 40" I think.
     I am still downsizing and taking the collections of memorabilia with me as having to move and finding a place was a traumatic event, which had a path all its own and one I am not finished with yet.  Mark's cousin Laura has graciously offered to take the boxes of Jean's collections and collections and collections, however I think I may go through them again after the move and change my thinking of what to send to her.  There are duplicates and maybe things that might be better off here or with the vast network of Marks friends out there, including Laura, his cousin.  I spoke with Irene when I gave her the plays, about how I had thought about maybe doing an art show about the Voland family, for they should be remembered for who they were, each and everyone of them was filled with a talent so huge, I still feel an awe moment to have been shared in this life experience. If this comes to pass, I will need lots of insight from all of you to help bring your stories to light as this is not my story, but ours and the stories we remember of Mark and his family. I have been given permission to give these precious objects away (from Bonnie Voland, Hayley's Mom) and perhaps when the dust from moving is settled, I can add this task to my list, scanning and posting the family history, I have found some very remarkable items.
   So happy sailing to us all as I start a new adventure, into a new home and organize over ten years of ignored chaos, which started for me back in 2001 and now with the grace of the universe, and much hope, I will get the minutes I need to finish this project (my moving) and get back to you after the move.
     Please send me your thoughts and let me know who is out there.  The Voland family was a world unlike any I ever experienced and I am glad to be the keeper of the family history; now I want to share more of it with you, if you would like. Those who have shared your desires with me to their past, no worries, I know what you are looking for, but there are some of you, well, who haven't, so I want to let you all know this is a great time to think about it and let me know- JP

Mark and his Mom Jean

May the force be with the two of you where ever you are and guide us all in peace and love. (This is the best photo I have ever had of Mark and his Mom Jean) -- Jenny (JP)

Poem by Abby Schiaffino

This is a poem written for a classroom assignment for a creative writing class describing the loss of a person.

©2012 AMSchiaffino:

She called.

It broke the day with her news.

I cried at the sound of the mews.

The day was dark suddenly,

I cried as I drove

I gathered my thoughts into a ball in my head

What was it she said?

Oh yes, he’s dead.

Her lover, a man

Not one I did know

Not the man that she knew

nor the man she will ever know.

He had died,

She had been called

She was quiet with her views

She sat and cried too,

And the room became blue.

A man,

A lover,

A man I did not know

A man she knew forever

was gone

and now she is alone.

Another Friend Remembers Markie

Hi, this is Jenny again. I just figured out how to open up this blog and get into to it to make a new edit. The world of computers, even though I love them, are all too confusing for me, which is why I have now written down the important stuff and will be able to come back a bit more frequently.

In February of this year, (2012) another of Mark's friends reached out and contacted me. He did so because he checks up on all of his good buddies through imdb.com, a place where people in the movie industry have important information listed about them and it was the way this friend found out Mark had passed away; the site updated Mark's death. Luck of the Universe his friend was re-directed to me, keeper of the Mark Voland "friend, love and legacy" group. It is my personal pleasure by the way, I enjoy being the central hub for Mark's wayward friends because I loved him so and he is still remains in a special part of my heart - a place no one can take away, nor would they. It isn't anything morbid, just difficult when I realize he is no longer as close as a phone call and yes I still do miss him, I believe this will never change. Losing a person like Mark leaves us all a bit sadder and a bit less complete. People like Mark managed to fill a room like none other and this is what Mark did for his friend Dan Rosen. So now I am going to post what Dan wrote me about his remembrance, about his friendship with Mark. He also sent a new photo which I will add too as Dan is in the photo along with other friends I remember. Bless and keep you Mark, you were really loved in this world and still are loved to this day. We all miss you.

Here is Dan's post:

Jenny:

I am so sorry to learn of Mark's passing, and so sorry that I didn't learn of it sooner. I am also sorry that I don't remember meeting you at Grant High. One of the great things about Mark was that he knew so many wonderful people that I otherwise wouldn't have known.

As documented so well by Hyam, I was one of the people lucky enough to have been a friend of Mark's. I was in his first band, Thursday Island, a name he picked at random from a dictionary. The attached photo was taken at my brother's Bar Mitzvah in 1967, which I think was our first (and only) paid gig. That's Scott Root on guitar and vocals, Mark on bass and vocals, Hyam on drums and me on guitar. Mark helped us build an impressive playlist for a junior high school band, from the Yardbird's rocking "For Your Love" to the Beatle's beautiful "And I Love Her".

By the way, I was sitting on the amp because the week before, during rehearsal, my guitar strap broke, dropping my guitar on the floor, which shattered the wood around the plug. Luckily, the electrics still worked, so I didn't realize the extent of the damage. But Mark could see it, and he pointed at the guitar as he made one of his famous wide-eyed, open-mouthed expressions of horror. I thought he was joking, as so often he was, until I turned the guitar over. The guitar held together for our gig, and the Gibson factory fixed it almost as good as new, but I will never forget Mark's expression of sheer horror. Brilliant.

What can I add about Mark? He was bigger than life and made every occasion better. What can I say about a guy who was over 6 feet tall and weighed over 200 pounds, and drove a Honda 600 mini-car? We hung out at his house and drank Coors, not from wimpy 12 oz cans, but from quart bottles. We went to great rock concerts including many at the Rose Palace, such as Led Zeppelin in 1969.

Over the years, I moved away and lost touch. Every once in a while I'd think of Mark, especially after seeing Herb in an old movie on TV, usually "Airplane." Occasionally I'd look up Mark on IMDb to see if he was still able to get some roles. I was shocked and saddened to see that his entry now says "Died January 13, 2010." A bit of searching brought me to your remembrance. I am so grateful that you created it, because it comforts me to know that with all that Mark went through, he went through it with someone who cared for him so much.

Thank you for taking care of Mark, and for remembering him.

-Dan Rosen

Alexandria, VA