MARK LAMBERT
03/10/1943 - 11/15/2023
Born on March 10, 1943, Mark was the son of loving parents Clarence Edward and Olive (Lewis) Lambert and the older brother of Julie Stockwell. He grew up in Gosport, Indiana, playing sports, enjoying the social aspects of school, and trying to avoid inventory days at the family hardware store. Life got serious, though, at 16 when he spotted Deanna Summers and called in a favor to finagle a date with her. She claims his grades got better after they started dating because he was competing with her; he said he just knew he had to be the kind of guy who would meet her high standards.
Mark and Deanna attended Indiana State University together before marrying in ‘65. Deanna taught school while Mark went to medical school at Indiana University. Living in an apartment on the bus line so they could make due with one car, the two of them spent their leisure time with family and always appreciated a good meal at Mark’s parents’ house or a basketball game with Deanna’s siblings. Their first daughter Marnie was born in ‘69 and their second daughter Raegan in ‘73.
Fellowships, internships and two years in the Army followed but Mark’s professional life really kicked into gear in 1976 when he and Deanna decided that they would take a chance on life in Houston, Texas. In a true partnership of a marriage, Mark always said that Deanna’s work on the homefront—raising their daughters and managing all of life outside of the office— allowed him to concentrate on starting his practice Cardiology of Houston at Memorial Hospital Southwest and spend the countless hours that were required of a business owner and an always-oncall cardiologist. After several years of long hours and ER duty, Mark invited his first partner, Sanford Lubetkin, to join him, and they became fast friends as Mark did with so many other people he encountered through work.
Mark said the favorite part of his job was taking patient medical histories because it always led to a great conversation about so much more than just the physical. Similar was his rapt attention paid during Bible study and class. He appreciated a class taught by a studied person who brought new insight to a verse or a complex discussion about spiritual issues. From the moment the Lamberts arrived in Houston, Memorial Church of Christ became and continues to be a foundation of the religious life that Mark and Deanna worked to create for their family. Mark cherished his time there singing, communing with family and others, learning, growing in faith. He was so pleased to see both of his daughters and grandson baptized there.
At home, Mark always had a book open in his lap and a pen in hand but would pause anytime someone wanted his attention. With their many annotations and handwritten thoughts on inserted notecards, the hundreds of books he read and gave to his daughters leave behind an imprint of his mind that Marnie and Raegan will be able to refer to when needing to access their father’s unique perspective.
Lots of other facts could be thrown in—chief of staff, University of Texas-Houston Medical School professor, writer, expert witness, runner, Indiana University basketball fan, music lover—but God’s words in Proverbs 9:10 “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” really sum up what made Mark such a good man who was loved and appreciated by many. The humility, curiosity, and kind heart that spun off of Mark’s belief in the existence and authority of God touched every part of his life, Sure he had his stubborn, spicy side, but caring for others drove him on a daily basis.
Of his immediate family, he is survived by his sister, wife, two daughters, and grandson Raymond. He will be missed but he was ready to go home. No service will be held but if you would like to honor him, please consider donating to the Foster’s Home for Children in Stephenville, Texas. Also, thank you to the community at The Buckingham in both independent living and skilled nursing and the nurses and support staff with Hospice Plus.