Mark James Cummings

Mark, 61, passed away in his residence in Salt Lake City on November 8, 2022 due to unintended complications with medications.

Mark was born September 9, 1961 and is survived by his parents, LaJean and LJ Cummings (Roy and St. George) and three siblings, John Cummings (Ogden), Robert and Amy Cummings (Riverdale), and Linda and Jerry Schwegler (Oklahoma). Mark looked after and cared for his parents and doted on them in their later years.

He served his mission in Montevideo Uruguay and loved his mission which began his deep love for the Hispanic culture. He also formed his lifelong friends, Shawn Guzman, Jimmy Woods, and Alfonzo “Fonz” Rodriguez.

After Mark served in Uruguay, he graduated from Weber State University with a Bachelor's degree in political science, Spanish and Family Relations.  He was a talented singer and sang with a group that traveled to Europe and many states across the US. His voice graced events throughout his adult life.   

Mark married Jaci Faye Facer on August 21, 1986 in Salt Lake City. They lived in the Avenues, Bountiful, St. George and lastly Farmington where they lived for over 20 years and later divorced.

Mark and Jaci had 5 sons and 6 grandchildren:  
Josh and Ali, parents to Ren and Stone (Farmington),
Zach and Angelee, parents to Vera and Grey (Hawaii),
Kade and Breanna, parents to Troy and Boston (St. George),
Jaxon (Provo), Gage (Salt Lake City).  

Mark’s sons were his pride and joy, and his grandkids were no different. He invested his time and effort to show them his love.

Mark believed deeply in the American Dream; Mark’s work ethic and business savvy turned into pawn shops, real estate projects, private finance, and other businesses. Mark was the ultimate entrepreneur. He instilled his relentless work-ethic into his 5 sons. He regularly shared his vision of all the brothers working together in his businesses.

Mark’s work ethic was paired with sharp intellect, forming a winning combination. He entertained friends and family with his comedic nature and quick wit. Mark’s ability to respond with a quippy comment or disarming joke was infectious. When some might toe the line with a sensitive topic, Mark’s sense of humor would hop right over.

Mark may have had the means, but you would never know it because of how frugal he was. Mark would often refer to himself as the “cheapskate” and scorned spending on unnecessary items. If the restaurant offers free water, why would anyone ever order soda? Mark would constantly shower his grandkids with surprises and gifts easily identifiable by the discount stickers from TJ Maxx or Smith’s marked down aisle.

Mark’s frugal nature was contrasted with a generosity that knew no bounds, touching the lives of those around him. He helped family, neighbors, and friends down on their luck. Bolivia, Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala were all destinations of his generosity where Mark traveled on humanitarian efforts after his mission in Uruguay.

Mark thoroughly enjoyed traveling and took the family around the world, cherishing foreign cultures and other ways of life. Due to his nature, Mark combined his knack for business and love for travel in the 90’s with his next entrepreneurial endeavor; buying and selling real estate in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. His sons were already used to every vacation filled with visiting local property listings and Mexico was no different. To this day, Cabo is the home away from home for the Cummings family. Yearly vacations to Cabo were full of swimming, boating, 4-wheeling, fishing, and eating as many fish tacos as possible.

Like all travelers on this path, Mark had his demons and struggles. His passion for human relationships left him susceptible to deep loneliness and self-doubt. He medicated with addictive substances that at times crippled him. He compensated for these times of weakness with an endless love for his fellow travelers.

May he be remembered as the business mogul, the singer, and the comic. May he be remembered as the husband and the father.

There will be a viewing Sunday, November 13^th, 2022 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Russon Mortuary & Crematory, 1941 North Main Street in Farmington. The services will be held at the Somerset Chapel, 1885 Summer Wood Drive in Farmington on Monday, November 14^th, 2022 at 11:00 AM with a viewing just before from 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM. Interment Farmington Cemetery.

For those wishing to attend virtually, the ward has provided the following Zoom link:

https://zoom.us/join

Zoom Webinar ID: 962 5044 1817

Services will also be streamed live on the Russon Mortuary & Crematory Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/russonmortuary) and on this obituary page.  The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the service and will be posted below.

Link to Facebook live stream:  https://www.facebook.com/100057447129518/videos/870972227596455/