Robert Mark McCauley, the son of the late Robert and Laura May (Taylor) McCauley, was born in Haddon Heights, NJ on March 15, 1950. He entered the U.S. Military Academy on July 1, 1968 and graduated on June 7, 1972 as an Armor second lieutenant. He later changed his name legally to Mark McCauley.
While at the Academy, Mark participated in the French Club, Slum and Gravy, and the Chapel Choir.
Classmate Bernie Pasierb remembered that Mark was known for his “willingness to strike up a conversation with anyone who needed to talk.” Rick McGrath, who roomed with Mark in 1969, said he always thought of Mark as the “Marlboro Man” of Company F-4. One of Rick’s most unforgettable memories of Mark was “watching him get out of bed in the morning, lighting up a cigarette, taking a couple puffs of smoke and then roaring into action!” In those days smoking cigarettes was not viewed as an unhealthy vice, and the ever-present “Marlboro Man” commercials were on every television channel. The commercials depicted rugged individuals, mostly cowboys, who were strong, confident, and unflappable. “Mark shared these qualities with Marlboro Man!”
John Anderson said he was honored to be a companymate of Mark’s, recounting that Mark “was intelligent and humorous as well as always upbeat about everything.”
Following graduation Mark attended the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, KY, then reported to 1-66th Armor Regiment, Fort Hood, TX, with which he had rotations to Germany, including duty on the border between East and West Germany. He was a hard-driving officer with high standards and little patience with others who lacked discipline, especially in a location such as the “Iron Curtain,” which was of great strategic significance at the time. Discipline and high standards were challenging issues as the Army recovered from Vietnam in the early 1970s. Mark resigned from the Army after his active duty commitment was satisfied.
Mark remained in the Fort Hood area following his discharge from active duty. He dealt with the loss of his father in an automobile accident and, just a short time later, the death of his older sister to cancer. He moved to Houston in 1977 and started working for Baker Hughes designing drill bits for oil rigs.
Mark married Cindy Walsh in 1980. They soon celebrated the birth of their first son, Carl Robert McCauley. Two years later they were blessed with a second son, Patrick Uriah McCauley. In 1986 Mark left Baker Hughes and moved back to his hometown of Haddon Heights, where he worked for General Dynamics Corporation in York, PA. By then, Mark and Cindy’s marriage had ended.
In 1987 Mark married Sandy Test and the family moved to St. Petersburg, FL, where Mark was a project manager on a General Dynamics government contract. In September 1988 Sandy gave birth to David Mark McCauley, giving Mark a third son.
In 1994 Mark and Sandy moved the family to New Castle, DE, where Sandy applied her registered nurse license and master’s degree while Mark became a senior project analyst for Nation’s Bank, later acquired by Bank of America. Following the acquisition, Mark continued to work as program manager and vice president for Bank of America.
Between 2005 and 2008 Mark experienced multiple medical issues, including a heart valve replacement and a knee replacement. Continued health challenges forced him to stop full-time work in 2009. In 2010 Mark and Sandy divorced and he moved to Mannsville, OK. This move helped his health issues and allowed him to become a successful “day trader” and to travel. Travel included a trip to the International Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, NM. He took the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce with F-4 classmate Dan Rossbach and his wife, Vera. Mark had been Dan’s “Best Man” when he married Vera almost 50 years earlier.
The COVID-19 pandemic popularized “Zoom calls,” allowing classmates in F-4 to hold multiple “pep rallies” and renew old friendships. Mark, in particular, enjoyed participating in these video-televised calls and reconnecting with nearly everyone in F-4. They offered special times that neither Mark nor the rest of the companymates could realize would be his last.
Although COVID-19 popularized Zoom, it also took Mark from us. In mid-July 2021, Mark started feeling poorly and tested positive for COVID-19. He was hospitalized, soon went on a ventilator, and then moved to hospice, where he succumbed to COVID.
When asked about Mark’s greatest accomplishment, his ex-wife Sandy fondly replied, “Mark’s greatest source of pride came from his grandchildren. During the last 11 years of his life, he was able to spend a great deal of time with them. He took joy in each of their differences and watching them grow into special people. Mark was always there to listen, offer loving advice, and share his pride in them when hearing of their accomplishments.” Mark was blessed with three granddaughters: Kaylah, Jacie, and Jaden; and one grandson, Maddox.
Mark had an unusual zest for life, characterized by his tremendous energy and ability to make genuine friends. His smile and friendship will be missed by all who knew him.
And when our work is done,
Our course on earth is run,
May it be said, “Well done;
Be thou at peace.”
— Classmates and family