August 20, 1951 – March 5, 2026
Mark Gomez’s heart beat for Jesus, and he faithfully followed his Lord’s call back and forth from both sides of the continental U.S. From Oregon to Washington to Florida to Arizona, he cared for kids in very different geographies, but all with the same need — a relationship with the Savior. He worked tirelessly in the mission for nearly six decades, devoting himself to the cause of Christ and kids.
Mark encountered Young Life while a student at Corbett High School (CHS), in Corbett, Oregon. He met the Lord in 1968, and six months later learned someone had paid for him to attend camp at Malibu. Here he saw the staff, work crew, and summer staff serving out of their love for Jesus, and he realized he’d made the best decision of his life in following Jesus.
While Mark was attending Multnomah University, one of the local Young Life leaders spotted him wearing a Young Life T-shirt, and invited him to consider becoming a leader. He soon began ministering at CHS, while serving part time on student staff.
Working on staff with Young Life became Mark’s passion for the next three decades. Over this time he served as:
- A part-time church partner in Estacada, Oregon, while serving as pastor of George Community Church from 1986 to 1989.
- An area director in Centralia, Washington, from 1989 to 1997.
- A metro director in Pinellas County, Florida, from 1997 to 2007.
- An area director in Yuma County, Arizona, from 2008 to 2013, at which time he retired from Young Life.
For the next five years he worked as a mission pastor in Yuma, then fully retired in 2018. But he didn’t stay away from Young Life for long. After the family moved to Augusta, Georgia, he immediately joined the committee there, and remained involved until the time of his passing.
His daughters, Larisa and Bria, shared this about their father: “Our dad was a man of many talents, but most of all, he had a heart after God’s own heart. His desire was that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be shared with everyone he knew. We will continue in our father’s footsteps now that he is gone. He shaped us in so many ways. He and our mom taught us how to be prayer warriors, and so we continue to pray together for family, friends, the cities we live in, our states, our country, and all the nations of the world.”
Mark is survived by his beloved wife of over 51 years, Glenda; his daughters, Larisa, Andriana, and Bria, and their families.
