Mark Allen Daves

Mark Allen Daves was born in El Paso, Texas on January 27, 1964 to Robert and Jean Daves. His early childhood was spent in Houston and Garland, Texas. The family moved to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where Mark attended Broken Arrow High School and found his first true love: theater. Mark worked backstage and on stage at the Broken Arrow Playhouse, and throughout his years at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He also performed in "The Trail of Tears" historical drama at Tsa-La-Gi, and working as costumer for Galveston Island Outdoor Musicals.

In his senior year at NSU, Mark stage-managed a production of "Finding The Sun" for director/ Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee. After graduation, Mark moved to Dallas and became a company member of Undermain Theatre. He worked as a carpenter for Dallas Stage Scenery, and as carpenter and shop manager for DSarts. In 1992, Mark married his college sweetheart, playwright Vicki Caroline Cheatwood. In 1995, he produced the successful world premiere of her play "Manicures & Monuments" at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary in Dallas. The year 1997 saw the premiere of another great Daves-Cheatwood collaboration: twin sons Ethan and Caleb Daves. In 2006, Mark’s career path moved him to The Expo Group, where he was Exhibits Project Manager.

Mark died on March 22, 2012 after a brave battle with cancer. He was attended during his illness by his wife and sons, his brother Stephen Daves, friends Steve Leary and Rev. Eric Folkerth, his coworker Juanita Pettit, and "the sister-wives," Robin Brashier, Dana Gelden See, Lynette Hendricks, Connie Gold Parry and Dolores Godinez, as well as some of Dallas’ finest doctors. The family especially wishes to thank Dr. Steve Perkins, Dr. Lucien Nedzi, Dr. John Truelson, Dr. Pete Batra, Dr. Larry Thornton, therapists Karen Winn and Marci Snyder, along with the physicians, nurses, therapists and technicians in The Aston Center’s otolaryngology clinic, the entire staff of the third floor of the St. Paul Hospital, and the Special Care Unit/Hardin Hall at Presbyterian Village North.

The family also wishes to extend heartfelt thanks to all the friends and coworkers in the DFW community who poured out their love on Mark, Vicki and the boys, especially the Pekowski Family and the Expo Groupers, the Kitchen Dog Theater tribe, Junior Players of Dallas, and the Northaven United Methodist Church family.

Mark is survived by his wife and sons of the home, his parents and his brother Stephen Daves of Broken Arrow, and his brother Larry Daves, sister-in-law Theresa Daves and nephew Mark William Daves of Ellenwood, Georgia, his mother-in-law Cleta Cheatwood and sister-in-law Sharon Cheatwood of Lawton, OK, and sister-in-law Nancy Cheatwood Ellis, brother-in-law Steven Ellis, nephew Austin Ellis, and niece Jacey Ellis of Green Mountain Falls, CO, the Daves and Swinford families in Alabama, and many, many friends in Oklahoma and Texas and throughout the U.S. He was preceded in death by his oldest brother Ray Daves, and sister-in-law Carolyn Daves.

A Memorial Service will be held at 4:00 P.M.Wednesday March 28, 2012 at Northaven United Methodist Church, 11211 Preston Rd. Dallas Tx., 75230.

Friends of the family have set up a trust fund for Ethan and Caleb. If you would like to make a donation, please make your contribution payable to the Ethan and Caleb Daves Trust Fund and send to Kimberlyn Crowe at 1218 Melbourne Ave. Dallas, TX 75224.