In Memory of Mark John Cosgrove
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Mark John Cosgrove at home on December 18, 2023 after more than a year of challenges and setbacks from cancer. Mark was born in Montreal to Catherine (Cleevely) and Benedict Cosgrove on February 18, 1950. Ben and Catherine were wonderful parents to Mark, his brother Paul (deceased) and his sister Gail of Ottawa. He leaves behind his longtime spouse, Jane Graham.
Mark and Jane met in 1989 while playing softball. Over the decades, they made many great memories together, whether it was cycling rurai bike paths or travelling across Canada and to other countries. Some of their favourite piaces included Prince Edward Island and, coincidentally enough, Prince Edward County in Ontario, as well as Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean.
Mark spent the majority of his working life in the wine business, representing a variety of wine producers and importers. It was a good match for him as he loved to raise a glass with family and friends or enjoy a nice rosé on the patio on a hot summer day. But he was most in his element when he was outdoors, biking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, skating, swimming and playing softball. During his retirement years, he biked an average of more than 3,000 kilometres annually (equivalent to cycling from Ottawa to Mark’s favourite beach at Panmure Island, PEI … and back again). Jane would often accompany him on these adventures.
Mark cherished the many lasting friendships that he made, starting in childhood in Montreal and continuing in Ottawa, especially Neal Boyle, now of Vancouver, BC. Mark and Neal first met over 65 years ago. And the list would be too lengthy to name all the golden retrievers that Mark befriended over the yearsl
A celebration of Mark’s life will be held in the spring.
it was always a great pleasure to be around Mark with his joyful personality and his crooked smile. I did bump.into him on occassion at the RA Centre, and it was always a warm welcome and a nice chat to catch up.
To summarize: Mark is one of the best people I’ve known.
My sympathy to Jane and Mark’s family.
Mark will certainly be missed!
Dear Gail,
How very sad to hear of Mark’s passing. I remember his kindness and love of the outdoors, especially cycling but also how loving and caring of a brother he was. Please accept my most sincere condolences, my dear friend.
Rachel
Gail, I’m so very sorry to hear about Mark. My sympathies to you.
Roy and I are so sad to hear of Mark’s passing. We saw Mark and Jane at Mike Holiday’s Celebration of Life in the Spring and enjoyed sharing memories with them of life in NDG in the 70’s. Rest in Peace Mark. You were always one of the good guys.
Helen and Roy Hood
We were sad to hear of Mark’s passing. We certainly cherished his neighbourly smile and greetings. Our sympathies go out to Jane and Gail.
Sending my deepest sympathy to Gail, Jane and the family. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this very difficult time.
Ian Wilson
Had the honour and pleasure of being one of Mark’s teammates on a couple or three slo-pitch teams. Always positive and optimistic, and WOW!, he loved to turn a double play or two. Not forgotten my friend.
Deepest sympathies to family.
I wanted to wait after the holidays to comment about my good friend Mark’s passing. Mark was the first person I got to know when I moved from Montreal to Ottawa in 1987. Because Mark was also from Montreal, we had this instant connection. I still. say that Joe Louis and Pepsi is better then May West and Coke, he would say the opposite…For the next 30 years or so, we did numerous trips together, including many Caribbean islands, US and Canada. Mark and Jane came to 20 consecutive golf trips that I organized during labour day weekend, without, once, setting foot on the golf course, or even holding a golf club! They came to hike, bike and be with their friends. We played softball together for more than 10 years. His passion for the game was infectious. We went to see many baseball games in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.There are too many stories to tell about my friend Mark. His passing has hit me really hard. Jane and family, please accept my deepest sympathy. Mark’s legacy will stay in our hearts forever. Every time I’ll see a bottle of Muscadet, I’ll remember Mark (inside joke!). Rest in peace my friend. Me knowing you was the best thing.
While I have not seen Mark in many years the memories of the Inniskillin wine days are very vivid. He was always hard working, professional and a true ambassador of all quality VQA Canadian wines. Inniskillin was so lucky to have him on The Team!!! While the sales calls, events etc. were endless, we enjoyed the family culture of The Inniskillin Team especially at our Christmas or summer gatherings which included Donald Ziraldo, Karl and Silvia Kaiser, Perry Mason, Joe Grygier, Martha Hemphill, Gerald Klose, David Sheppard, JR Patterson and many more. Mark’s smile said it all!!! We all thought the world of Mark. A sad time for sure in wine country. Condolences to Jane and all his family.
Dear Jane,
I’ve been thinking about Mark a lot, and somehow felt compelled to go back through my (many) pictures from the last 20+ years, i.e. ever since I met him and you playing ball with the infamous Bat Busters. What wonderful times we all had! I remember Mark so distinctly from those earliest days, not only because of his wit, humour, charm, and athleticism, but also because of his crushing bat. (It was such a shame, however, that his big hits almost always landed foul of left field … makes me smile thinking about it.) And then there were all those International Dinners with the gang of 12; so much fun with everyone dressing up for whatever the theme was. His costume selections were hilarious – his wine selections perfect. And as André mentioned, the 20 years of golfing (and biking!) trips where there was always some merriment and new memories made, with Mark in the thick of things. The pictures tell it all. I found that pouring over those Mark pictures very comforting, because in each one, his sparkling blue eyes and his gorgeous smile shone from within. And that’s how I’ll always remember Mark. Tino and I are both so glad to have known him and feel blessed that we could call him “friend.” My sincere condolences to you Jane, on your immeasurable loss. We will miss him. In friendship, Sue and Tino
For some reason and probably because I met Mark in the early 80’s as a competitor in the wine business and thiroughly enjoyed his demeanor and integrity which led me to seek him out on Google. I was so sad to hear of his passing and regretted not reaching out to reconnect earlier. Thoughts to all who had the pleasure to know him and call him a relative or friend.