Mark Meredith: A Tribute
Mark Meredith: A Tribute
This past week, the aviation community woke up to the news that Mark Meredith had passed away. I sat in my office, threw my cell phone down and tears began to fill my eyes as I uttered the words NO… NO…NO!. The news spread quickly as comments and tribute posts flooded social media. Once I regained my composure, I knew I needed to add to the sea of tributes to this kind man.
There is little I can say that hasn’t been said already. It only confirms he was a man of the highest caliber. I don’t remember when I first met Mark but like most of you, it was at an airshow. Over the years, I would look forward to seeing Mark. If we met up after his performance, he would ask, “how did I do” and “did you get any good pictures”. Interactions on social media were frequent, and Mark was always complimentary of our work. The first time Full Disc Aviation worked with Mark was at the 2019 New Garden Festival of Flight. When asked, he did not hesitate to join us in an impromptu night shoot. Mark and his de Havilland Chipmunk “Chippy” became part of what we still call the greatest aviation day ever. Years later, I had the opportunity to photograph Mark and Chippy in an air-to-air shoot over the Chesapeake Bay. Mark handled all the logistics, photo ship, pilot and a Pitts Special to boot. All I needed to do was take the photographs. After the shoot we broke bread. When they brought the bill, Mark grabbed it and didn’t allow me to spring for lunch. He said, “You drove all the way here and did all the work”. As much as one would think, the shoot was the not the most memorable moment, it was the time we spent talking in his hangar before the flight. We talked about the Chipmunk, and he explained and showed me every detail and nuance of the work he did on Chippy. It’s that moment with this humble man that I will cherish the most.
I think why it hurts so much is because… I lost a friend. I know that “friend” means different things to different people. I was not in his inner circle, nor would I ever say I was a family friend. Mark had a way of making it feel like, you were longtime friends and that is what felt special. By the tributes I have read, I know I am not the only one. Welcoming and gracious, Mark always greeted you with a kind word and radiant smile. Thank you Mark you will truly be missed.
On behalf of Full Disc Aviation and collaborator Glenn Riegel, I want to offer our deepest condolences to Martha and the entire Meredith Family.
