Mark Coony passed away on Dec. 10, 2023. He was born in Santa Barbara on Feb. 21 1951, and grew up near Hendry’s Beach.

Mark was an avid surfer, fisherman, sailor, golfer and private pilot. He graduated from Santa Barbara High in 1969, then attended commercial diving school.

In 1972 he followed his sister Martha to Sydney, Australia, where he found employment as a diver.

In Sydney, he met the love of his life Bobbie Willis from the UK. They married in 1977 and had three sons Robert, James and Michael.

In 1980 Mark moved the family back to Santa Barbara. For 30 years he worked at UCSB as maintenance supervisor in married student housing and facilities.

Mark, a master of conflict resolution, either within the family or among the work force, was always calm in adversity. He had a great sense of humor, and could take the tension out of any situation with a wry smile or a joke.

He was a loving and active father, who taught his boys to surf, and to sail with the Santa Barbara Seashells. He became a commodore in the 1990s. Mark and younger son Michael sailed as valued crew members on Dan Durbeck’s boat Perfect Timing.

Mark’s family, his brother Eric, and his sister Martha Holman’s family ― husband John, and children, Nicholas and Jessica — spent every holiday, and family occasion together, opening up their homes to friends and family from England and Australia.

When Mark retired from UCSB in 2008, he and Bobbie moved back to Australia to join “their boys;” setting up home in the quiet beach town of Nambucca Heads, where son Robert and his wife Lauren live.

Mark and Bobbie were on hand to be grandparents to Robert’s and Lauren’s children Sam, Ryder and Freya; and James’ and Kate’s two children Finn and Nova.

Mark’s great delight was to cook them American-style pancakes and waffles on a Sunday morning.

In Nambucca Heads, Mark engaged in his passions for surfing, fishing, golf and photography.

Mark and Bobbie would make regular trips back to Santa Barbara to see son Michael and his wife Lyndsay who still live here, and to visit friends and other family, the most recent trip being in 2019 for his sister Martha’s 70th birthday bash. Sadly, Covid ended those visits.

Mark was loved by everyone who knew him. He will be sorely missed as he has left a gaping hole in our lives.

Services will be Monday, Dec. 18 in Nambucca Heads, Australia. To leave a message of condolence, click here.