My brother, Mark Edward Dudley, died on February 26, 2026, at his home in Hampton, Connecticut, with his wife, Marlene Aulten, at his side. Mark was the only son of Edward E. and Helyn Walton Dudley. In addition to his wife, survivors include his sisters Susan Dudley Gold and her husband, John C. Gold, and Jane Dudley Ruel and her husband, Brian Ruel; niece Tamara Moxham and her husband Jason Graves; nephews Damon R. Gray and his wife Lupe Zarate, Travers Ruel, and Samuel Morrison; great-niece Callie Morrison; and great-nephew Alexander Morrison. He also leaves behind his collie, Tamlin, who spent many hours beside Mark’s bed during his last two weeks; he knew his “dad” was leaving.
Mark was born six weeks prematurely, and the family joked that that was the only time he was early. His teachers all commended him for his superior intellectual abilities—and on his inability to get things done on time. His stellar scores on the SAT earned him status as a National Merit finalist in high school, an achievement that won him a full four-year scholarship at Worchester Polytechnical Institute.
A great procrastinator, he was a brilliant engineer despite putting off writing his final paper and never receiving a degree from Worchester Polytechnical Institute. He was credited on two patents and held jobs in the aerospace industry on the West Coast and in Connecticut. He spent 22 years at the University of Connecticut as manager of the mechanical analysis and GPC (Gel permeation chromatography) testing labs before retiring in 2018. He also served as a member of UConn’s IMS (Institute of Materials Science) Industrial Affiliates Program.
Mark delighted in his retirement and relished the time to spend on his extensive gardens, both vegetable and floral, with an entire plot devoted to stunning dahlias of all colors. He shared his bounty with friends and family alike, handing out garlic bulbs, homemade dill and sweet pickles, and Jerusalem artichokes (dubbed “fartichokes because of their tendency to produce flatulence in those who partake of them). The little tubers helped produce quite the odoriferous concert around Mark and Marlene’s fire pit.
His attachment to chickens, begun in early childhood when he had his own flock of bantams, carried into adulthood and allowed him to dispense dozens of eggs to grateful friends and family. As he had in his youth, he named them all and fought off hawks and other predators to protect them.
An expert ice cream maker, Mark often prepared his specialty, pineapple cherry ice cream (also our grandmother Edie’s signature flavor) for family gatherings. And if a guest was lucky enough to be at his house for breakfast, he would fry up bacon and whip up fluffy pancakes (a specialty of our father).
Fearless when it came to heights, Mark climbed along the ridgepole of the family’s barn, which nearly gave our grandmother a heart attack when she spotted him 20+ feet above the ground. Later as an adult, he repaired his roof, perfectly at ease striding along the shingles, while his brother-in-law and nephew, cinched with harnesses and safety rope, crawled cautiously over the expanse.
He was the “funcle” who always distributed the funniest gifts—fake tongues, whoopie cushions, a book on farts, and a school lunch box labeled “Human Organ for Transplant”—and regaled children with tales of his escapades.
For years he and his friends, a mix of high school, college, and other longtime buddies, gathered at alternating houses to play Dune. I’m not sure how he fared, but I know he won sometimes. When Mark contracted prostate cancer and had to endure excruciating treatments, those friends and others stepped up to help with stacking wood, transportation to chemotherapy and radiation appointments, and many other tasks, as did his nephew Sam and Sam’s two teenage children. It is a testament to Mark’s loyalty and dedication to those he loved that so many offered their support during the almost two years he struggled against the relentless and in the end fatal cancer.
We will scatter his ashes on his beloved property in the woods near a pond and his dahlia garden. For those wishing to make a donation in his memory, Mark asked that people consider a contribution to the Collie Rescue League of New England and New York (CRLNE&NY), P.O. Box 603, Colchester, VT 05446 or online at https://www.collierescueleague.com. Please note: In memory of Mark Edward Dudley and in honor of Tamlin, his best four-legged buddy.
I have created a video of photos depicting Mark’s life for friends and family. To view it, please click on this link:
https://youtu.be/wkHCIL56YxQ
If you hate the accompanying music, mute it and play music that Mark would love.