For just over 61 years, life expressed itself beautifully through Mark Brian Gant, who died in his home surrounded by beloved friends and family on May 20, 2016. Mark is survived by the love of his life, Roxane George, his daughter Katy Gant, with whom he had the father-daughter relationship all fathers and daughters yearn to have, his big brother Jack Gant and a devoted crew of loving, hilarious, adventuresome, compassionate friends and extended family members who miss him enormously and celebrate his life with joy, laughter and gratitude.

Mark was diagnosed with type I diabetes and cancer in January. In February, diagnoses of stage IV pancreatic cancer and primary liver cancer were confirmed, with a life expectancy of 2-6 months without treatment. Mark's first response to this terminal diagnosis was to sit down with Roxane and beloved neighbors to smoke cigarettes and drink whiskey while making gleeful plans to burn every single real estate appraisal file in his office and never do another goddamn appraisal again.

Mark met his dying with little fear, enormous grace and generosity, tremendous humor and infinite love. He had many wonderful experiences in life, including countless adventures on the Colorado River, the San Juan, the Green, the Salmon, the Amazon and both oceans. He was always happiest in the presence of wild places and wild-hearted people and spent as much time as possible with both. He believed strongly in Bernie Sanders' political revolution and Walt Whitman's assertion that "to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier."

In lieu of flowers, Roxane and Katy request that donations be given to two organizations that have been important to Mark and his loved ones. Donations to Flagstaff-based Further Shore can be made online at furthershore.org or mailed to Further Shore, Inc., P.O. Box 23518, Flagstaff, AZ 86002. Donations to the Bernie Sanders campaign can be made online at https://berniesanders.com

What do you think has become of the young and old men?
What do you think has become of the women and children?

They are alive and well somewhere;
The smallest sprouts show there is really no death,
And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it,
And ceased the moment life appeared.

All goes onward and outward. . . .and nothing collapses,
And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.
~Walt Whitman