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Teasel
19th September 2004, 07:51 PM
It is with great sadness that I must share the news that Mark Thompson, TheCat, passed away last weekend. The details are still a little sketchy but it seems that Mark suffered a heart attack whilst in his new home on Shetland.

Mark's boundless enthusiasm and endless optimism will be well known to everyone who knew him. Despite all the knocks he suffered (including four previous heart attacks!) he was always looking towards the next challenge.

Mark was attracted to geocaching as a way to increase his exercise whilst still feeding his technical mind and, like everything, he embraced it wholeheartedly. Anyone who has met him will remember his enthusiasm for the sport.

Perhaps his biggest contribution to caching in the UK was the setting up and running of GeocacheUK, a platform used by many UK cachers. For a while also Mark supported us all by providing a geocaching merchandise service, making it possible for us to get our caching stuff cheaper than before.

Mark was always finding ways of putting his talents to good use to help others. Many of you will have caught him on one of his charity "Fox Hunt" caches. (His eagerness to be caught making him known as the kamikaze fox!)

I'm sure you will agree with me that the UK caching community will miss Mark "TheCat", and join with me in expressing our deepest sympathies and condolences to Mark's family and friends.

Cheers Mark!
Ian

[I'll post details of funeral arrangements etc as soon as I hear them]

John Stead
19th September 2004, 08:57 PM
I've just been phoned by another Mark who passed on this sad news.
Ian has put it very well and all I can say is how much I have appreciated what Mark has done for us all. I only met him face to face twice but was impressed by his warmth and enthusiasm.
May I add my sympathy to that offered to his family and friends.

Bill D (wwh)
19th September 2004, 10:52 PM
I'm very sorry to hear this.

I only met Mark once, on his charity fox hunt last year, but I was very impressed with his enthusiasm and his persistence with that fox hunt despite its early problems.

And, as has been said, Mark set up GeocacheUK, which is a tremendous service for cachers in the UK.

His death is a very sad loss for us all.

My sympathy and condolences to his family and friends.

BugznElm'r
24th September 2004, 05:33 PM
A very sad day for UK geocaching. Mark did more for UK geocaching than anyone of anything else. He was a tremendous character and I will miss him.

My sympathy and condolences to his family and friends.

60north
27th September 2004, 06:49 PM
My first post, so apologies in advance for any gaff.

Mark had emailed me to say that he was moving up here to Shetland when I had asked his advice on a geocaching problem. He was really keen to meet up for a chat, but I am sorry to say that commitments then wouldn't allow me to get away.

I don't know if I can be of any help in respect to his caches, but if anyone wants me to take them under my wing as I live on Shetland, then I am more than happy to. If there is anything that I can it is just a case of asking me.

Andy

globetrotter.uk
27th September 2004, 10:40 PM
A sad time indeed, may we remember mark as we go about on our walks around the uk and afar and remember that we have lost a dear fellow cacher and one whom always was willing to help answer problems on the forums and emails.
God be with him now

Pharisee
29th September 2004, 09:02 AM
Originally posted by 60north@Sep 27 2004, 05:49 PM
I don't know if I can be of any help in respect to his caches, but if anyone wants me to take them under my wing as I live on Shetland, then I am more than happy to. If there is anything that I can it is just a case of asking me.

Andy
Andy.... It would probably be better if you made your kind offer directly to the UK 'Reviewers'.... Eckington or Lactodorum.... directly by emailing them via their geocaching.com profile or by repeating your offer on the geocaching.com forum.

DerekReed
25th November 2004, 03:02 PM
:(

Sorry for my prolonged absence. Regrettably, I haven't been very busy on the geocaching recently and also haven't had time to read the forums, and only found out about Mark's sad passing when I tripped over a post on GAGB.

I'm both surprised and saddened by the death of the Mark (the Cat).

I had the pleasure of meeting Mark at the Chichester Meet (because I was early for once - one of the first few there, I had chance to talk to Mark for quite a while before anyone else turned up), and also at the Farley Mount Geocaching day (Mark gave me a couple of badges for my grandkids).

His boundless energy and enthusiasm were quite inspiring. Thank you Mark for all that you have done for Geocaching in the UK.

He will be sadly missed. My condolences to his family, and all of his friends.

Derek