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Mark Darren VanAuken, 60, of Mooresville, NC, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday, June 21, 2026 at his residence. He was born on July 18, 1965 in Concord, NC to the late Milo David VanAuken and the late Shirley Johnson VanAuken. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his older brother, John VanAuken. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Tracy Benfield VanAuken; his two daughters, Catelyn VanAuken Inman and husband, Justin along with Kelsey Danielle VanAuken Gibbons and husband Jake; his grandchildren through Catelyn, Cadeon Jude Inman and Laycie McKenna Inman; grandchildren through Kelsey, London Grace Gibbons and Delilah Raye Gibbons; his eldest brother David VanAuken and wife Pam; his nieces and nephew through David, Jennifer VanAuken, Kelly VanAuken Delice and husband Sam and children, and Nathan VanAuken and wife Kristen and daughter; his twin brother-in-law's Robert and Jeffrey Benfield; and a plethora of extended family and close friends who will cherish his memory and continue to miss him for decades to come. Mark never met a stranger. He could converse effortlessly with anyone and had a naturally outgoing personality. Always having a smile for everyone. He could easily relate to all people and had a way of making each person he interacted with feel seen. He had the most infectious and unique laugh any of us have ever heard and would cackle and wheeze in such a way that none of us will likely forget. He loved football, his favorite sport. He lettered in varsity football at Mooresville High School and was always fond of recalling these memories to loved ones. He played recreational softball into his adulthood and was an avid follower and spectator of his favorite professional football team, the Dallas Cowboys and collegiate basketball team, the Carolina Tarheels. He was a foodie and loved to grill out for his family. When it came to food, his favorite phrase was "southern styled." He highly valued anything regarding family-time, laughter, memory sharing, and cooking-out. He fell in love with motorcycles at a young age and always dreamed of owning a Harley-Davidson Fatboy. He was fond of Westerns, his favorite star being John Wayne. It wasn't unusual to catch him watching reruns of Gunsmoke or Bonanza. He was a fan of all things classic. He was a loyal conservative and faithful believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It wasn't uncommon for Mark to say, "I know I'm a sinner, but what I know even more is that I'm covered by the blood of Jesus Christ." On innumerable times of need he would call on the name of Jesus and later recount to his loved ones how he was only saved by "the grace of God." He was a loving husband, father, brother, best friend, but most of all, he was a staunchly devoted grandfather. His proudest moniker was, "Poppy." Mark leaves behind a lasting legacy of the power of forgiveness, the need for grace, the necessity of patience, and the preciousness of unconditional love. He would do anything for anyone and was a friend to all. He will be dearly missed. The family will receive visitation and condolences at Cavin-Cook Funeral Home in Mooresville, NC on Sunday, June 28th, 2026 at 1 pm and a Celebration of Life at 2 pm. Following the memorial, a brief grave-side service will be held at Centre Presbyterian Church in Mooresville, NC for all who wish to attend. Cavin-Cook Funeral Home & Crematory, Mooresville, is serving the VanAuken family. Condolences may be made to the family at www.cavin-cook.com.

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Mark Darren VanAuken

July 18, 1965 - June 21, 2026